c-r. 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

BETTY  HOAG  McGLYNN 
COLLECTION 


POPULAR   WORKS 


dAfTAIN  WILLAI^D 


THE  So  u>  IKK-  AUTHOR. 


I.  ThreeToars  in  the  Federal  Cavalry. 
11.  Capture,  Prison -Pen  and  Escape. 
111.  Battles  for  the  I  nion. 
IV.  Heroes  of  Three  Wars. 
V.  Peculiarities  of  American  Cities. 
VI.  Down  the  tireat  Kiver. 
Yll.  Headwaters  of  the  Mississippi. 
VIII.  Ocean  to  Ocean  on  Horseback. 


Captain  Glazier's  works  are  jrrowinp  more  ami  more 
popular  every  day      Their  ilelineations  ol  sooiu/,  mili- 
tary  (in<f  frtniitr   life,  constantly  vary  in  j:  so- 
deeply  interesting  stories,  ooml'ine  to  place  tlieir  writer 
in  the  front  rank  of  American  authors. 


SOLD  ONLY  BY  SUBSCRIPTION. 

>JS  PF.SIRIXO    AOF.XC1FS    FOR    ANY     OF    OAPTAIJ 

ZIKR'S     KO'iKS    Ml.'l  Il>    AM'KKSS 

THE   PUBLISHERS. 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN 


•HORSEBACK; 

JBeing 

THE  STORY  OF  A  TOUR  IN  THE  SADDLE  FROM  THE  ATLANTIC  TO 

THE  PACIFIC  ;  WITH  ESPECIAL  REFERENCE  TO  THE  EARLY 

HISTORY    AND    DEVELOPMENT  OF  CITIES  AND   TOWNS 

ALONG  THE    ROUTE ;    AND  REGIONS    TRAVERSED   BE- 
YOND   THE    MISSISSIPPI;    TOGETHER     WITH     IN- 
CIDENTS, ANECDOTES  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 
THE  JOURNEY. 

% 

BY 

CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

Amtbor  of  "  Capture,    Prison-Pen    and    Escape,"   "Three  Year.     I.  the   Federal  Cavalry," 

"Battle*  for  the  Cnlon,"  "Heroea  of  Three  Wars,"  "  Peculiarities  of   American 

Cities,"  "  Down  the  Great  Bl»er,»  "  Headwaten  of  the  Hksisslppl,"  Et«. 


Illustrated 


PHILADELPHIA  : 

HUBBARD  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 

1898. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1895,  by 

WILLARD  GLAZIER, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


TO 

THE  MEMORY 
OP 

Beloveb  flDotber, 

TO  WHOSE 

antr 


I  AM   INDEBTED  FOR  WHATEVER  I  HAVE  KEEN 
ABLE   TO   ACCOMPLISH 


IN 

3ournc?  of  Xife, 

THIS   VOLUME 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY 

DEDICATED. 


PREFACE. 


IT  was  the  intention  of  the  writer  to  pub- 
lish a  narrative  descriptive  of  his  over- 
laud  tour  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific 
soon  after  returning  from  California  in 
1876,  and  his  excuse  for  the  delay  in 
publication  is  that  a  variety  of  circum- 
stances compelled  him  to  postpone  for  a 
time  the  duty  of  arranging  the  contents  of  his  journal 
until  other  pressing  matters  had  been  satisfactorily 
attended  to.  Again,  considerable  unfinished  literary 
work,  set  aside  when  he  began  preparation  for  crossing 
the  Continent,  had  to  be  resumed,  and  for  these 
reasons  the  story  of  his  journey  from  "  OCEAN 
TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK  "  is  only  now  ready  for 
the  printer.  In  view  of  this  delay  in  going  to  press, 
the  author  will  endeavor  to  show  a  due  regard  for  the 

changes  time  has  wrought  along  his  line  of  march,  and 

(vii) 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


while  noting  the  incidents  of  his  long  ride  from  day  to 
day,  it  has  been  his  aim  so  far  as  possible  to  discuss  the 
regions  traversed,  the  growth  of  cities  and  the  develop- 
ment of  their  industries  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
present. 


ALBANY,  NEW  YORK, 
August  22, 1895. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY.  *. 

Boyhood  Longings — Confronted  by  Obstacles — Trapping  Along  the 
Oswegatchie — Enter  Gouverneur  Weslyan  Seminary — Appointed 
to  State  Normal  College— Straitened  Circumstances— Teach  School 
in  Reusselaer  County — War  of  the  Rebellion — Enlist  in  a  Cavalry 
Regiment — Taken  Prisoner — Fourteen  Mouths  in  Southern 
Prisons — Escape  from  Columbia — Recaptured — Escape  from  Syl- 
vania,  Georgia— Re-enter  the  Army— Close  of  the  War— Publish 
"Capture,  Prison-Pen  and  Escape"  and  Other  Books — Decide  to 
Cross  the  Continent — Preparation  for  Journey  from  Ocean  to 
Ocean  on  Horseback .25 

CHAPTER  II. 

BOSTON   AND   ITS   ENVIRONS. 

Early  History  and  Development — Situation  of  the  Metropolis 
of  New  England— Boston  Harbor— The  Cradle  of  Liberty- 
Old  South  Church— Migrations  of  the  Post  Office— Patriots  of 
the  Revolution — The  Boston  Tea  Party — Bunker  Hill  Monument — 
Visit  of  Lafayette— The  Public  Library— House  where  Franklin 
was  Born— The  Back  Bay— Public  Gardens— Streets  of  Boston- 
Soldiers'  Monument — The  Old  Elm — Commonwealth  Avenue- 
State  Capitol— Tremont  Temple— Edward  Everett— Wendell 
Phillips — William  Loyd  Garrison — Phillips  Brooks — Harvard 
University  —  Wellesley  College  —  Holmes,  Parkman  —  Prescott, 
Lowell,  Longfellow — Boston's  Claims  to  Greatness  .  .  .32 

CHAPTER  III. 

LECTURE   AT   TREMONT   TEMPLE. 

Subject    of  Lecture — Objects  Contemplated — Grand  Army  of  the 

ix 


X  CONTENTS. 

.Republic — Introduction  by  Captain  Theodore  L.  Kelly— Refer- 
ence to  Army  and  Prison  Experiences— Newspaper  Comment- 
Proceeds  of  Lecture  Given  to  Posts  7  and  15— Letter  to  Adjutant- 
General  of  Department 70 

CHAPTER  IV. 

BOSTON   TO   ALBANY. 

First  Day  of  Journey — Start  from  the  Revere  House — Escorted  to 
Brighton  by  G.  A.  R.  Comrades — Dinner  at  Cattle  Fair  Hotel — 
South  Framingham — Second  Day — Boston  and  Albany  Turnpike 
— Riding  in  a  Rainstorm — Arrival  at  Worcester — Lecture  in  Opera 
House — Pioneer  History — Rapid  Growth  of  Worcester — Lincoln 
Park— The  Old  Common— Third  and  Fourth  Days—The  Ride  to 
Springfield — Met  by  Wife  and  Daughter — Lecture  at  Haynes 
Opera  House— Fifth  Day— Ride  to  Russell— The  Berkshire  Hills 
— Sixth  Day — Journey  to  Becket — Rainbow  Reflections — Seventh 
Day — Over  the  Hoosac  Mountains — Eighth  Day — Arrival  at 
Pittsfield — Among  the  Lebanon  Shakers — Ninth  Day — Reacli 
Nassau,  New  York *  .  81 

CHAPTER  V. 

FOUR   DAYS   AT  ALBANY. 

Nassau  to  Albany— Among  Old  Friends  in  Rensselaer  County- 
Thoughts  of  Rip  Van  Winkle — Crossing  the  Hudson — Albany  as 
Seen  from  the  River — Schoolday  Associations — Early  History — 
Settled  by  the  Dutch—Henry  Hudson — Killian  Van  Rensselaer — 
Fort  Orange — Peter  Schuyler  and  Robert  Livingstone — Lecture  at 
Tweddle  Hall— Call  at  the  Capitol— Meet  Army  Comrades  .110 

CHAPTER  VI. 

ALBANY  TO  SYRACUSE. 

fourteenth  Day — On  the  Schenectady  Turnpike — Riding  between 
Showers— Talk  with  Peter  Lansing— Reach  Schenectady— Lecture 
at  Union  Hall  under  G.  A.  R.  Auspices— Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth 
Days — Go  over  to  Troy — Lecture  at  Harmony  Hall — Visit  Old 
Friends — Seventeenth  Day — Return  to  Schenectady — Eighteenth 
Day— In  the  Mohawk  Valley— Halt  at  Amsterdam— Reach  Fonda 
—Nineteenth  Day  —  Saint  Johnsville—  Twentieth  Day— Little 
Falls— Twenty -first  Day  —  Utica—  Twenty-second  Day— Rome— 
Twenty-third  Day— Chittenango 118 

CHAPTER  VII. 

TWO   DAYS    AT   SYRACUSE. 
Walks  and  Talks  with  the  People— Early  History— Lake  Onondaga— 


CONTENTS.  xi 

Father  Le  Moyne— Discovery  of  Salt  Springs— Major  Danforth— 
Joshua  Forman — James  Geddes — The  Erie  Canal — Visit  of  La 
Fayette — Syracuse  University— Lecture  at  Shakespeare  Hall .  132 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

SYRACUSE   TO    ROCHESTER. 

Twenty-sixth  Day— Grand  Army  Friends— General  Sniper— Captain 
Auer — Stopped  by  a  Thunder-shower — An  Unpleasant  Predica- 
ment— Twenty-Seventh  Day — Jordan,  New  York — Lake  Skaneat- 
eles—  Twenty-eighth  Day— Photographed— Entertained  at  Port 
Byron — Montezuma  Swamp — Twenty-ninth  Day — Newark,  New 
York— Journey  Continued  Along  the  New  York  Central  Rail- 
way— Another  Adventure  with  Paul — Thirtieth  Day — Fairport — 
Eiding  in  the  Cool  of  the  Day 141 

CHAPTER  IX. 

FOUR    DAYS   AT    ROCHESTER. 

Rainstorm  Anticipated — Friends  of  the  Horse — Seven-Sealed  Wonder 
— Newspaper  Controversy — Lecture  at  Corinthian  Hall — Colonel 
J.  A.  Reynolds— Pioneer  History— Colonel  Nathaniel  Rochester- 
William  Fitzhugh— Charles  Carroll— Rapid  Growth  of  City— Sam 
Patch— Genesee  Falls— The  Erie  Canal— Mount  Hope— Lake 
Ontario — Fruit  Nurseries 147 

CHAPTER  X. 

ROCHESTER   TO   BUFFALO. 

Thirty-fifth  Day — Churchville — Cordiality  of  the  People — Dinner 
at  Chili — Thirty-sixth  Day — Bergen  Corners — Byron  Centre — Rev. 
Edwin  Allen — Thirty-seventh  Day — Batavia — Meet  a  Comrade  of 
the  Harris  Light  Cavalry — Thirty-eighth  Day — "Croft's" — More 
Trouble  with  Mosquitoes — Amusing  Episode — Thirty-ninth  Day 
— Crittenden — Rural  Reminiscences — Fortieth  Day — Lancaster— 
Lectured  in  Methodist  Church — Captain  Remington  .  .  158 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THREE   DAYS   AT   BUFFALO. 

"Queen  City"  of  the  Lakes— Arrival  at  the  Tift  House— Lecture 
at  St.  James  Hall — Major  Farquhar — Aboriginal  History — The 
Eries— Iroquois— "  Cats"— La  Hontan— Lake  Erie— Black  Rock- 
War  of  1812— The  Erie  Canal— Buffalo  River— Grosvenor  Library 
— Historical  Society— Red  Jacket— Forest  Lawn— Predictions 
for  the  Future  .  171 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

BUFFALO    TO    CLEVELAND. 

Forty-fourth  Day— On  the  Shore  of  Lake  Erie— Forty-fifth  Day-* 
Again  on  the  Shore  of  Erie— Bracing  Air— Enchanting  Scenery- 
Angola— Big  Sister  Creek— Forty-sixth  Day— Angola  to  Dunkirk 
— Forty-eighth  Day — Dunkirk  to  Westfield — Fruit  and  Vegetable 
Farms— Fredonia— Forty-ninth  Day— Westfield  to  North  East- 
Cordial  Reception — Fiftieth  Day — North  East  to  Erie — Oliver 
Hazzard  Perry— Fifty-first  Day— Erie  to  Swanville— Fifty-second 
Day— Talk  with  Early  Settlers— John  Joseph  Swan— Fifty-third 
Day — Swanville  to  Girard — Greeted  by  Girard  Band — Lecture  at 
Town  Rail— Fifty-fourth  Day— Girard  to  Ashtabula— Lecture 
Postponed— Fifty-fifth  Day— Ashtabula  to  Painesville— The  Cen- 
tennial Fourth— Halt  at  Farm  House — Fifty-sixth  Day — Reach 
Willoughby— Guest  of  the  Lloyds 183 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

FIVE   DAYS   AT   CLEVELAND. 

An  Early  Start— School  Girls— "Do  you  Like  Apples,  Mister?"— 
Mentor — Home  of  Garfield — Dismount  at  Euclid — Rumors  of  the 
Custer  Massacre — Reach  the  "  Forest  City  " — Met  by  Comrades  of 
the  G.  A.  R.— Lecture  at  Garrett  Hall— Lake  Erie— Cuyahoga 
River — Early  History — Moses  Cleveland — Connecticut  Land  Com- 
pany—Job  Stiles— The  Ohio  Canal— God  of  Lake  Erie—"  Ohio 
City  "—West  Side  Boat  Building— "The  Pilot"— Levi  Johnson- 
Visit  of  Lorenzo  Dow — Monument  Square — Commodore  Perry — 
Public  Buildings— Euclid  Avenue — "The  Flats  "—Standard  Oil 
Company 206 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

CLEVELAND    TO   TOLEDO. 

Sixty-first  Day — Again  in  the  Saddle — Call  on  Major  Hessler — Do- 
nate Proceeds  of  Lecture  to  Soldiers'  Monument  Fund — Letters 
from  General  James  Barnett  and  Rev.  William  Earnshaw — Stop 
for  Night  at  Black  River — /Sixty-second  Day — Mounted  at  Nine 
A.  M. — Halted  at  Vermillion  for  Dinner — Lake  Shore  Road — More 
Mosquitoes — Reach  Huron  Late  at  Night — Sixty-third  Day-" 
Huron  to  Sandusky — Traces  of  the  Red  Man — Ottawas  and 
Wyandots — Johnson's  Island — Lecture  in  Union  Hall — Captain 
Culver— Sixty-fourth  Day— Ride  to  Castalia— A  Remarkable  Spring 
— Sixty-fifth  Day— Reach  Fremont — Home  of  President  Hayes-- 
Sixty-sixth  Day— Reach  Elmore,  Ohio— Comparison  of  Hotels .  221 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

CHAPTER  XV. 

FIVE   DAYS   AT    TOLEDO. 

Ride  from  Elmore— Lecture  at  Lyceum  Hall— Forsyth  Post,  G.  A. 
R. — Doctor  J.  T.  Woods — Concerning  General  Custer — Pioneer 
History— Battle  of  Fallen  Timbers— Mad  Anthony  Wayne — 
Miami  and  Wabash  Indians— The  Toledo  War— Unpleasant  Com- 
plications— Governor  Lucas — Strategy  of  General  Vanfleet — Mil- 
bourn  Wagon  Works— Visited  by  a  Detroit  Friend  .  .  .231 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

TOLEDO   TO   DETROIT. 

Seventy-second  Day — Leave  Toledo — Change  of  Route — Ride  to  Erie, 
Michigan — Paul  Shows  His  Mettle — Seventy-third  Day — Sunday 
—Go  to  Church— Rev.  E.  P.  Willard— Solicitude  of  Friends— 
Seventy-fourth  Day — Ride  to  Monroe — Greeted  with  Music — Hail 
Columbia — Star-Spangled  Banner — Home  of  Custer — Meet  Custer 
Family — Custer  Monument  Association — Received  at  City  Hall — 
Great  Enthusiasm — River  Rasin — Indian  Massacre — General  Win- 
chester— Battle  of  the  Thames — Death  of  Tecumseh — Monroe 
Monitor — Seventy-seventh  Day — Lecture  at  City  Hall — Personal 
Recollections  of  Custer — Incidents  of  His  School  Life — Seventy- 
eighth  Day — Leave  Monroe — Huron  River — Traces  of  the  Mound 
Builders — Rockwood — Seventy-ninth  Day — Along  the  Detroit 
River — Wyandotte — Ecorse — Eightieth  Day — Letter  from  Judge 
Wing — Indorsement  of  Custer  Monument  Association  .  .243 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

FOUR   DAYS    AT   DETROIT. 

Leave  Ecorse — Met  at  Fort  Wayne — Sad  News — Reach  Detroit — 
Met  by  General  Throop  and  Others — at  Russell  House — Lecture  at 
St.  Andrew's  Hall — General  Trowbridge — Meet  Captain  Hampton 
— Army  and  Prison  Reminiscences — Pioneer  History  of  Detroit — 
La  Motte  Cadillac — Miamies  and  Pottawattomies — Fort  Ponchar- 
train — Plot  of  Pontiac — Major  Gladwyn — Fort  Shelby — War  of 
1812— General  Brock  and  Tecumseh  Advance  on  Detroit— Sur- 
render of  General  Hull— British  Compelled  to  Evacuate  .  265 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

DETROIT    TO   CHICAGO. 

Eighty-fifth  Day— Leave  Detroit  Reluctantly— Pa ul  in  Good  Spirits 
— Reach  Inkster — Eighty-sixth  Day — Lowering  Clouds — Take 
Shelter  under  Trees  and  in  a  Woodshed — Meet  War  Veterans — 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

Ypsilanti — Eighty-seventh  Day — Lecture  at  Union  Hall — Incidents 
of  the  Late  W&r— Eighty-eighth  Day— An  Early  Start— Ann  Arbor 
'  — Michigan  University — Dinner  at  Dexter — Eighty-ninth  Day — 
Dinner  at  Grass  Lake — Reach  Jackson — Ninetieth  Day — Comment 
of  Jackson  Citizen—  Coal  Fields— Grand  River— Ninety-first  Day 
— A  Circus  in  Town — Parma — Ninety-second  Day — "  Wolverines  " 
—Ninety-third  Day—Ride  to  Battle  Creek— Lecture  at  Stuart's 
Hall — Ninety-fourth  Day — Go  to  Church — Goguac  Lake — Ninety- 
fifth  Day— Arrive  at  Kalamazoo— Sketch  of  the  "Big  Village"— 
Ninty-sixth  Day — Return  to  Albion  and  Lecture  in  Opera  House — 
Ninety-seventh  Day— Lecture  at  Wayne  Hall,  Marshall— Ninety- 
eighth  Day — Calhoun  County — Ninety-ninth  Day — Letter  to  Custer 
Monument  Association — One  Hundreth  Day — Colonel  Curtenius — 
One  Hundred  and  First  Day — Paw  Paw — One  Hundred  and 
Second  Day — South  Bend,  Indiana — Hon.  Schuyler  Colfax — One 
Hundred  and  Third  Day— Grand  Rapids— Speak  in  Luce's  Hall 
— One  Hundred  and  Fourth  Day — Return  to  Decatur — One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifth  Day — Again  in  Paw  Paw — One  Hundred  and 
Sixth  Day — Lecture  at  Niles — Otie  Hundred  and  Seventh  Day — 
Go  to  La  Porte  by  Rail— One  Hundred  and  Eighth  Day— Return 
to  Michigan  City— One  Hundred  and  Ninth  Day— Go  Back  to 
Decatur,  Michigan — One  Hundred  and  Tenth  to  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-second  Day  —  Dowagiac  —  Buchanan  —  Rolling 
Prairie 279 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

THREE   DAYS    AT   CHICAGO. 

Register  at  the  Grand  Pacific  Hotel — Lecture  at  Farwell  Hall — 
Visit  McVicker's  Theatre— See  John  T.  Raymond  in  "  Mulberry 
Sellers" — The  Chicago  Exposition — Site  of  City — Origin  of  Name 
— Father  Marquette — First  Dwelling — Death  of  Marquette — Lake 
Michigan — Fort  Dearborn — First  Settlement  Destroyed  by  Indians 
— Chicago  as  a  Commercial  City — The  Great  Fire — An  Unparal- 
leled Conflagration — Rises  from  her  Ashes — Financial  Reorgani- 
zation— Greater  than  Before — Schools  and  Colleges — Historical 
Society — The  Palmer  House — Spirit  of  the  People — One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-sixth  Day — Again  at  Michigan  City — Attend  a 
Political  Meeting — Hon.  Daniel  W.  Voorhees — "Blue  Jeans" 
Williams — One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Day — Leave  Michi- 
gan City — Hobart — "Hoosierdum" — One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
ninth  Day— Weather  Much  Cooler  ,,,...  333 


CONTENTS.  xv 

CHAPTER  XX. 

CHICAGO   TO   DAVENPORT. 

One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Day— Followed  by  Prairie  Wolves- 
Reach  Joliet,  Illinois— Lecture  at  Werner  Hall— Owe  Hundred 
and  Thirty-first  Day— Hide  on  Tow  Path  of  Michigan  Canal— 
Morris — One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Day — Corn  and  Hogs 
— Arrive  at  Ottawa — One  Hundred  and  Thirty-third  Day — Reach 
La  Salle— One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Day— Colonel  Stephens 
—One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth  Day— Visit  Peru— One  Hundred 
and  Thirty-sixth  Day— Mistaken  for  a  Highwayman— One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirty-seventh  Day — Fine  Stock  Farms — Wyanet — One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  Day  —  Annawau  —  Commendatory 
Letter—  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth  Day— A.  Woman  Farmer- 
One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Day— Reach  Milan,  Illinois  .  .  354 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

FOUR    DAYS   AT    DAVENPORT. 

Cross  the  Mississippi — Lecture  at  Moore's  Hall — Colonel  Russell — 
General  Sanders — Early  History  of  the  City — Colonel  George 
Davenport — Antoine  Le  Claire — Griswold  College — Rock  Island 
— Fort  Armstrong — Rock  Island  Arsenal — General  Rodman — Col- 
onel Flagler— Rock  Island  City— Sac  and  Fox  Indians— Black 
Hawk  War— Jefferson  Davis— Abraham  Lincoln— Defeat  of  Black 
Hawk — Rock  River — Indian  Legends  .  .  .  ,  .  372 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

DAVENPORT   TO   DBS   MOINES. 

One  Hundred  and  Forty-fifth  Day— Leave  Davenport— Stop  over 
Night  at  Farm  House— One  Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Day— Reach 
Moscow,  Iowa— Rolling  Prairies— One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh 
Day— Weather  Cold  and  Stormy— Iowa  City— One  Hundred  and- 
Forty-eighth  Day— Description  of  City— One  Hundred  and  Forty 
ninth  Day— Lectured  at  Ham's  Hall— Hon.  G.  B.  Edmunds— Owe 
Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Day— Reach  Tiffin— Guests  of  the  Tiffin 
House— One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Day— Marengo— One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifty-second  Day— Halt  for  the  Night  at  Brooklyn— One 
Hundred  and  Fifty -third  Day— Ride  to  Kellogg— Stop  at  a  School 
House— Talk  with  Boys— One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fourth  Day— 
Reach  Col  fax— One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  Day— Arrive  at  Des 
Moines— Capital  of  Iowa— Description  of  City— Professor  Bo  wen 
—Meet  an  Array  Comrade .386 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

DES   MOINES   TO   OMAHA. 

One  Hundred  and  Fifty-seventh  Day — Leave  Des  Moines  with  Pleas- 
ant Reflections — Reach  Adel — Dallas  Couuty — Raccoon*  River— 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-eighth  Day — Ride  through  Redn'eld — 
Reach  Dale  City — Talk  Politics  with  Farmers — One  Hundred  and 
Fifty-ninth- Day — A  Night  with  Coyotes— Re-euforced  by  a  Friend- 
ly Dog — One  Hundred  and  Sixtieth  Day — Cold  Winds  from  the 
Northwest — All  Day  on  the  Prairies — One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
first  Day — Halt  at  Avoca — One  Hundred  and  Sixty-second  Day — 
Riding  in  the  Rain— Reach  Neola — One  Hundred  and  Sixty-third 
Day— Roads  in  Bad  Condition— Ride  through  Council  Bluffs — Ar- 
rive at  Omaha 401 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A   HALT    AT   OMAHA. 

The  Metropolis  of  Nebraska— First  Impressions— Peculiarity  of  the 
Streets — Hanscoro  Park — Poor  House  Farm — Prospect  Cemetery 
—Douglas  County  Fair  Grounds- Omaha  Driving  Park— Fort 
Omaha — Creightoti  College — Father  Marquette — The  Mormons — 
"Winter  Quarters" — Lone  Tree  Ferry — Nebraska  Ferry  Com- 
pany— Old  State  House — First  Territorial  Legislature — Governor 
Cummings — Omaha  in  the  Civil  War — Rapid  Development  of  the 
"  Gate  City  " 409 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

OMAHA   TO   CHEYENNE. 

Leave  Paul  in  Omaha — Purchase  a  Mustang— Use  Mexican  Saddle 
— Over  the  Great  Plains — Surface  of  Nebraska — Extensive  Beds  of 
Peat— Salt  Basins— The  Platte  River— High  Winds— Dry  Climate- 
Fertile  Soil — Lincoln — Nebraska  City — Fremont — Grand  Island — 
Plum  Creek— McPherson— Sheep  Raising— Elk  Horn  River— In 
Wyoming  Territory — Reach  Cheyenne — Description  of  Wyoming 
— "  Magic  City  "—Vigilance  Committee— Rocky  Mountains— 
Laramie  Plains— Union  Pacific  Railroad 420 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

CAPTURED    BY   INDIANS. 

Leave  Cheyenne — Arrange  to  Journey  with  Herders — Additional 
Notes  on  Territory — Yellowstone  National  Park — Sherman — 
Skull  Rocks  —  Laramie  Plains  —  Encounter  Indians  —  Friendly 
Signals — Surrounded  by  Arrapaboes — One  Indian  Killed — Taken 
Prisoners— Carried  toward  Deadwood — Indians  Propose  to  Kill 


CONTENTS.  xvii 

their  Captives— Herder  Tortured  at  the  Stake— Move  toward 
Black  Hills— Escape  from  Guards— Pursued  by  the  Arrapahoes — 
Take  Refuge  in  a  Gulch — Reach  a  Cattle  Ranch — Secure  a 
Mustang  and  Continue  Journey 435 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

AMONG    THE    MORMONS. 

Ride  Across  Utah — Chief  Occupation  of  the  People — Description  of 
Territory  —  Great  Salt  Lake  —  Mormon  Settlements  —  Brigham 
Young— Peculiar  Views  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints— "  Celestial 
Marriages  " — Joseph  Smith, the  Founder  of  Mormonism — The  Book 
of  Mormon — City  of  Ogden — Pioneer  History — Peter  Skeen  Ogden 
—Weber  and  Ogden  Rivers— Heber  C.  Kimball— Echo  Canyon- 
Enterprise  of  the  Mormons — Rapid  Development  of  the  Terri- 
tory .  .  446 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

OVER   THE   SIERRAS. 

The  Word  Sierra— At  Kelton,  Utah— Ride  to  Terrace— Wells, 
Nevada — The  Sierra  Nevada — Lake  Tahoe — Silver  Mines— The 
Comstock  Lode— Stock  Raising— Camp  Halleck— Humboldt  River 
— Mineral  Springs — Reach  Palisade — Reese  River  Mountain — 
Golconda — Winnemucca — Lovelocks — Wadsworth — Cross  Truckee 
River— In  California 458 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ALONG   THE    SACRAMENTO. 

Colfax — Auburn — Summit — Reach  Sacramento  —  California  Boun- 
daries—Pacific Ocean— Coast  Range  Mountains— The  Sacramento 
Valley— Inhabitants  of  California— John  A.  Suiter— Suiter's  Fort 
— A  Saw-mill—James  Wilson  Marshall — Discovery  of  Gold — 
"  Boys,  I  believe  I  have  found  a  Gold  Mine  "—The  Secret  Out— First 
Days  of  Sacramento— A  "City  of  Tents  "—Capital  of  California  465 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  END  OF  JOURNEY. 
Metropolis  of  the  Pacific  Coast— Largest  Gold  Fields  in  the  World— 
The  Jesuits— Captain  Sutter— Argonauts  of  "  49  "—Great  Excite- 
ment—Discovery of  Upper  California— Sir  Francis  Drake— John 
P.  Lease— The  Founding  of  San  Francisco — The  "Golden  Age" 
—Story  of  Kit  Carson— The  Golden  Gate— San  Francisco  Deserted 
—The  Cholera  Plague— California  Admitted  to  the  Union— Cran- 
dall's  Stage— Wonderful  Development  of  San  Francisco— United 
States  Mint— Handsome  Buildings— Trade  with  China,  Japan, 
India  and  Australia— Go  Out  to  the  Cliff  House— Ride  into  the 

Pacific — End  of  Journey 475 

2 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Wayside  Notes, Frontispiece. 

Views  in  Boston, 33 

Scenes  in  Boston, ........  39 

Boston  and  Environs, »..  49 

Commonwealth  Avenue,  Boston, 57 

Leaving  the  Revere  House,  Boston,       .     .     / 71 

Riding  Through  Cambridge, 77 

View  in  Worcester,  Mass., 81 

A  New  England  Paper  Mill, 85 

Old  Toll-Bridge  at  Springfield, 91 

A  Massachusetts  Mill  Stream, .  95 

The  Springfield  Armory, .     .     .     .     .     .  99 

A  Mill  in  the  Berkshire  Hills,     .     .     .    ,.     ...     .     .     .  103 

A  Hamlet  in  Berkshire  Hills,      .     .     .     .     .     .....  107 

Suburb  of  Pittsfield, Ill 

A  Scene  in  the  Berkshire  Hills, .115 

State  Street  and  Capitol,  Albany,  N.  Y.,    .     .     .     .     .     .     .  125 

River  Street,  Troy,  N.  Y., .129 

View  in  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  .     .     . 133 

View  in  Mohawk  Valley,        ...........  143 

A  Mill  Stream  in  Mohawk  Valley,  .     .     .     .     .     .     ...  139 

A  Flourishing  Farm, 157 

An  Old  Landmark,   .     .     .     .     .     .     .     ...     .     .     .     .  161 

The  Road  to  Albany, 121 

View  of  Rochester,       .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .    .     .     ...  171 

The  District  School-House,     ...........  177 

Rural  Scene  in  Central  New  York,  .     . 183 

The  Road  to  Buffalo, 189 

Juvenile  Picnic, ; .  205 

A  Cottage  on  the  Hillside,     ...........  211 

Haying  in  Northern  Ohio,      ...........  221 

Just  Out  of  Cleveland, ,    .     .  225 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

On  the  Shore  of  Lake  Erie, 235 

Sunday  at  the  Farm, 241 

A  Home  in  the  Woods, 245 

Country  Store  and  Post  Office, 255 

An  Ohio  Farm, 265 

Outskirts  of  a  City, 279 

A  Summer  Afternoon, 303 

The  Country  Peddler, 313 

A  Mill  in  the  Forest, 321 

No  Rooms  To  Let, 335 

Rural  Scene  in  Michigan, 341 

Spinning  Yarns  by  a  Tavern  Fire, 345 

A  Hoosier  Cabin, 355 

A  Circus  in  Town, 359 

A  Country  Road  in  Illinois, 381 

An  Illinois  Home, 385 

A  Happy  Family, 395 

An  Illinois  Village, 399 

The  Road  to  the  Church, 404 

An  Iowa  Village, 419 

On  the  Way  to  Mill, 427 

A  Night  Among  the  Coyotes, 431 

High  School,  Omaha,  Neb., 441 

Omaha,  Neb.,  in  1876, 437 

Sport  on  the  Plains, 449 

Pawnee  Indians,  Neb., 453 

North  Platte,  Neb., 457 

Plum  Creek,  Neb., 463 

Cattle  Ranch  in  Nebraska, 467 

A  Mountain  Village, 471 

Captured  by  the  Indians, 477 

Deciding  the  Fate  of  the  Captives, 481 

Escape  from  the  Arrapahoes, 487 

An  Indian  Encampment,  Wyoming, 495 

Sheep  Ranch  in  Wyoming, 503 

Mining  Camp  in  Nevada, 507 

A  Rocky  Mountain  River, 513 

A  Lake  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas, 517 

A  Cascade  by  the  Roadside, 525 

View  in  Woodward's  Garden,  San  Francisco, 533 

The  Pacific  Ocean,  End  of  Journey,      , 541 


OCEAN   TO   OCEAN 

ON 

HORSEBACK, 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

!,OM  earliest  boyhood  it  had  been  my 
earnest  desire  to  see  and  learn  from  per- 
sonal observation  all  that  was  possible 
of  the  wonderful  land  of  my  birth. 
Passing  from  the  schoolroom  to  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  and  thence  back 
to  the  employments  of  peace,  the  old 
longing  to  make  a  series  of  journeys 
over  the  American  Continent  again 
took  possession  of  me  and  was  the  controlling  in- 
centive of  all  my  ambitions  and  struggles  for  many 
years. 

To  see  New  England — the  home  of  my  ancestors ; 
to  visit  the  Middle  and  Western  States ;  to  look  upon 
the  majestic  Mississippi ;  to  cross  the  Great  Plains  ;  to 
scale  the  mountains  and  to  look  through  the  Golden 
Gate  upon  the  far-off  Pacific  were  among  the  cherished 
desires  through  which  my  fancy  wandered  before  leav- 
ing the  Old  Home  and  village  school  in  Northern  New 
York. 

(21) 


22    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

The  want  of  an  education  and  the  want  of  money 
were  two  serious  obstacles  which  confronted  me  for  a 
time.  Without  the  former  I  could  not  prosecute  my 
journeys  intelligently  and  for  want  of  .the  latter  I 
could  not  even  attempt  them. 

Aspiring  to  an  academic  and  collegiate  course  of 
study,  but  being  at  that  period  entirely  without  means 
for  the  accomplishment  of  my  purpose,  I  left  the  dis- 
trict school  of  my  native  town  and  sought  to  raise  the 
necessary  funds  by  trapping  for  mink  and  other  fur- 
bearing  animals  along  the  Oswegatchie  and  its  tribu- 
tary streams.  This  venture  proving  successful  I  en- 
tered the  academy  at  Gouverneur  in  August,  1857, 
from  which  institution  I  was  appointed  to  the  State 
Normal  College  at  Albany  in  the  fall  of  1859. 

I  had  been  in  Albany  but  six  weeks  when  it  became 
apparent  that  if  I  continued  at  the  Normal  I  would 
soon  be  compelled  to  part  with  my  last  dollar  for 
board  and  clothing. 

The  years  1859-60  were  spent  alternately  at  Albany 
as  student  and  in  the  village  schools  of  Rensselaer 
County  as  teacher — the  latter  course  being  resorted  to 
whenever  money  was  needed  with  which  to  meet  cur- 
rent expenses  at  the  Normal  School. 

Then  came  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  overriding 
every  other  consideration.  Books  were  thrown  aside 
and  the  pursuits  of  the  student  and  teacher  supplanted 
by  the  sterner  and  more  arduous  duties  of  the  soldier. 

During  my  three  years  of  camping  and  campaigning 
with  the  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  I  was 
enabled  to  gratify  to  some  extent  my  desire  for  travel 
and  to  see  much  of  interest  as  the  shifting  scenes  of 
conflict  led  Bayard,  Stoneman,  Pleasonton,  Gregg, 


INTRODUCTORY.  23 

Ouster  and  Kilpatrick  and  their  followers  over  the 
hills  and  through  the  valleys  of  Virginia,  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania. 

Being  captured  in  a  cavalry  battle  between  Kilpat- 
rick and  Stuart  in  October,  1863,  I  was  imprisoned 
successively  at  Richmond,  Danville,  Macon,  Savannah, 
Charleston  and  Columbia,  from  which  last  prison  I 
escaped  in  November,  1864;  was  recaptured  and  es- 
caped a  second  and  third  time,  traversing  the  States  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia  in  my  long  tramp  from 
Columbia  to  Savannah. 

The  marches,  raids,  battles,  captures  and  escapes  of 
those  days  seem  to  have  increased  rather  than  dimin- 
ished my  ardor  for  travel  and  adventure  and  hence  it 
is  possibly  not  strange  that  on  leaving  the  army  I  still 
looked  forward  to  more  extended  journeys  in  the  East 
and  exploratory  tours  beyond  the  Mississippi. 

With  the  close  of  the  war  and  mustering  out  of  ser- 
vice came  new  duties  and  responsibilities  which  I  had 
hardly  contemplated  during  my  school  days.  The 
question  of  ways  and  means  again  confronted  me.  I 
desired  first  to  continue  the  course  of  study  which  had 
been  interrupted  by  my  enlistment,  and  secondly  to 
carry  out  my  cherished  plans  for  exploration.  Hav- 
ing a  journal  kept  during  my  incarceration  in  and 
escapes  from  Southern  prisons,  I  was  advised  and  de- 
cided to  amplify  and  publish  it  if  possible  with  a  view 
to  promoting  these  projects. 

Going  to  New  York,  I  at  once  sought  the  leading 
publishers.  My  manuscript  was  submitted  to  t|ie 
Harpers,  Appletons,  Scribners,  and  some  others, 
but  as  I  was  entirely  unknown,  few  cared  to  under- 
take the  publication  and  none  seemed  disposed  to  allow 


24  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

a  royalty  which  to  me  at  least  seemed  consistent 
with  the  time  and  labor  expended  in  preparation.  I 
had  now  spent  my  last  dollar  in  the  Metropolis  in 
pursuit  of  a  publisher,  and  in  this  dilemma  it  was 
thought  best  to  return  to  Albany,  where  I  had  friends 
and  perhaps  some  credit,  and  endeavor  to  bring  out  the 
book  by  subscription.  This  course  would  compel  me 
to  assume  the  cost  of  production,  but  if  successful 
would  prove  much  more  lucrative  than  if  issued  in  the 
usual  way  through  the  trade. 

Fully  resolved  upon  retracing  my  steps  to  Albany, 
I  was  most  fortunate  in  meeting  an  old  comrade  and 
friend  to  whom  I  frankly  stated  my  plans  and  circum- 
stances. He  immediately  loaned  me  twenty  dollars 
with  which  to  continue  my  search  for  a  publisher  and 
to  meet  in  the  meantime  necessary  current  expenses. 

On  reaching  Albany  an  'attic  room  and  meals  were 
secured  for  a  trifling  sum,  arrangements  made  with  a 
publisher,  and  the  work  of  getting  out  the  book  begun. 
While  the  printer  was  engaged  in  composing,  stereo- 
typing, printing  and  binding  the  work,  I  employed 
my  spare  time  in  a  door-to-door  canvass  of  the  city  for 
subscriptions,  promising  to  deliver  on  the  orders  as 
soon  as  the  books  came  from  the  press.  In  this  way 
the  start  was  made  and  before  the  close  of  the  year 
hundreds  of  agencies  were  established  throughout  the 
country. 

The  venture  proved  successful  beyond  my  most  san- 
guine expectations,  and  where  I  had  expected  to  dis- 
pose of  two  or  three  editions  and  to  realize  a  few  hun- 
dred dollars  from  the  sale  of  "Capture,  Prison-Pen 
and  Escape,"  the  book  had  a  sale  of  over  400,000 
copies  and  netted  me  $75,000.  This  remarkable  sue- 


INTRODUCTORY.  25 

cess,  rivalling  in  its  financial  results  even  "  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin,"  which  had  just  had  a  run  of  300,000  copies, 
was  most  gratifying  and  led  to  the  publication,  at  in- 
tervals, of  "  Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry ; " 
"Battles  for  the  Union,"  and  "Heroes  of  Three 
Wars." 

The  temptation  to  make  the  most  of  my  literary 
ventures  lured  me  on  from  year  to  year  until  1875, 
when  I  laid  down  the  pen  and  began  preparation  for 
my  long  contemplated  and  oft  deferred  journey  across 
the  Continent.  Being  now  possessed  of  ample  means, 
I  proposed  to  ride  at  leisure  on  a  tour  of  observation 

from  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HOKSEBACK. 

My  preference  for  an  equestrian  journey  was  in  a 
great  measure  due  to  early  associations  with  the  horse, 
in  jaunts  along  country  highways  and  over  the  hills 
after  the  cows,  as  well  as  numerous  boyhood  adventures 
in  which  this  noblest  of  animals  frequently  played  a 
conspicuous  part.  Then,  too,  my  experience  in  the 
cavalry- largely  influenced  me  to  adopt  the  saddle  as 
the  best  suited  to  my  purpose. 

Reflecting  further  upon  the  various  modes  of  travel, 
I  was  led  to  conclude  as  the  result  of  much  experience 
that  he  who  looks  at  the  country  from  the  windows  of 
a  railway  car,  can  at  best  have  only  an  imperfect  idea 
of  the  many  objects  of  interest  which  are  constantly 
brought  to  his  notice.  Again,  a  journey  in  the  saddle, 
wherein  the  rider  mounts  and  dismounts  at  will  as  he 
jogs  along  over  the  highway,  chatting  with  an  occa- 
sional farmer,  talking  with  the  people  in  town  and 
gazing  upon  rural  scenes  at  his  pleasure,  presents  many 
attractive  features  to  the  student  and  tourist  who 
wishes  to  view  the  landscape,  to  commune  with  nature, 


26    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSE&ACK. 

to  see  men  and  note  the  products  of  their  toil  and 
to  learn  something  of  their  manners  and  customs. 

Having  therefore  decided  to  make  my  journey  in  tbe 
saddle,  I  at  once  set  about  to  secure  such  a  horse  as 
was  likely  to  meet  the  requirements  of  my  undertak- 
ing. As  soon  as  my  purpose  was  known,  horses  of 
every  grade,  weight  and  shade  were  thrust  upon  my 
attention  and  after  some  three  weeks  spent  in  advertis- 
ing, talks  with  horse  fanciers  and  in  the  livery  and  sale 
stables  of  Boston,  my  choice  fell  upon  a  Kentucky 
Black  Hawk,  one  of  the  finest  animals  I  had  ever  seen 
and,  as  was  subsequently  established,  just  the  horse  I 
wanted  for  my  long  ride  from  sea  to  sea. 

His  color  was  coal  black,  with  a  white  star  in  the 
forehead  and  four  white  feet ;  long  mane  and  tail ; 
height  fifteen  hands ;  weight  between  ten  and  eleven 
hundred  pounds,  with  an  easy  and  graceful  movement 
under  the  saddle ;  his  make-up  was  all  that  could  be  de- 
sired for  the  objects  I  had  in  view.  The  price  asked 
for  this  beautiful  animal  was  promptly  paid,  and  it  was 
generally  conceded  that  I  had  shown  excellent  judg- 
ment in  the  selection  of  my  equine  companion. 

A  few  days  after  my  purchase  I  learned  that  my 
four-legged  friend  had  been  but  a  short  time  before  the 
property  of  an  ex-governor  of  Massachusetts  and  that 
the  reason  he  had  but  recently  found  his  way  into  a  livery 
stable  on  Portland  street,  was  that  he  had  acquired 
the  very  bad  habit  of  running  away  whenever  he  saw 
a  railway  train  or  anything  else,  in  short,  that  tended 
to  disturb  his  naturally  excitable  nature.  This  infor- 
mation led  to  no  regrets,  however,  nor  did  it  even 
lessen  my  regard  for  the  noble  animal  which  was  des- 


INTRODUCTORY.  27 

tined  soon  to  be  my  sole  companion  in  many  a  lonely 
ride  and  adventure. 

The  unsavory  reputation  he  had  made,  and  possibly 
of  which  he  was  very  proud,  of  running  away  upon 
the  slightest  provocation,  smashing  up  vehicles  and 
scattering  their  occupants  to  the  four  winds,  was  consid- 
ered by  his  new  master  a  virtue  rather  than  a  fault,  so 
long  as  he  ran  in  the  direction  of  San  Francisco,  and 
did  not  precipitate  him  from  his  position  in  the  saddle. 

As  soon  as  I  was  in  possession  of  my  horse  the 
question  of  a  suitable  name  arose  and  it  was  agreed 
after  some  discussion  among  friends  that  he  should  be 
christened  Paul  Revere,  after  that  stirring  patriot  of 
the  Revolution  who  won  undying  fame  by  his  ride 
from  Boston  and  appeals  to  the  yeomanry  the  night 
before  the  Battle  of  Lexington. 


CHAPTER  II. 

BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS. 

JHE  month  of  April,  1876,  found  my- 
self and  horse  fully  equipped  and  ready 
to  leave  Boston,  but  I  will  not  ride 
away  from  the  metropolis  of  New 
England  without  some  reference  to  its 
early  history  and  remarkable  develop- 
ment, nor  without  telling  the  reader  of 
my  lecture  at  Tremont  Temple  and 
other  contemplated  lectures  in  the  lead- 
ing cities  and  towns  along  my  route. 

Boston,  standing  on  her  three  hills  with  the  torch 
of  learning  in  her  hand  for  the  illumination  of 
North,  South,  East  and  West,  is  not  one  of  your 
ordinary  every-day  cities,  to  be  approached  without 
due  introduction.  Like  some  ancient  dame  of  historic 
lineage,  her  truest  hospitality  and  friendliest  face  are 
for  those  who  know  her  story  and  properly  appreciate 
her  greatness,  past  and  present.  Before  visiting  her, 
therefore,  I  recalled  to  memory  those  facts  which 
touch  us  no  more  nearly  than  a  dream  on  the  pages 
of  written  history,  but  when  studied  from  the  living 
models  and  relics  gain  much  life,  color  and  verisimili- 
tude. 

Boston  Harbor,   with  its    waters   lying   in   azure 
(28) 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  29 

placidity  over  the  buried  boxes  of  tea  which  the  hasty 
hands  of  the  angered  patriots  hurled  to  a  watery 
grave ;  Boston  Common,  whose  turf  grows  velvet- 
green  over  ground  once  blackened  by  the  fires  of  the 
grim  colonial  days  of  witch-burning,  and  again 
trampled  down  by  innumerable  soldierly  feet  in 
Revolutionary  times;  the  Old  State  House,  from 
whose  east  window  the  governor's  haughty  command, 
"  Disperse,  ye  rebels  !"  sounded  on  the  occasion  of 
the  "Boston  Massacre,"  the  first  shedding  of  American 
blood  by  the  British  military  ;  and  the  monument  of 
Bunker  Hill — these,  with  a  thousand  and  one  other 
reminders  of  the  city's  brilliant  historical  record,  com- 
pose the  Old  Boston  which  I  was  prepared  to  see. 
The  first  vision,  however,  of  that  many-sided  city 
was  almost  bewilderingly  different  from  the  mental 
picture.  Where  was  the  quaint  Puritan  town  of  the 
colonial  romances  ?  Where  were  its  crooked,  winding 
streets,  its  plain  uncompromising  meeting-houses, 
darkened  with  time,  its  curious  gabled  houses,  stoop- 
ing with  age?  Around  me  everything  was  shining 
with  newness — the  smooth  wide  streets,  beautifully 
paved,  the  splendid  examples  of  fin  de  stide  architect- 
ure in  churches,  public  buildings,  school  houses  and 
dwellings. 

Afterwards  I  realized  that  there  was  a  New  Boston, 
risen  Phoenix-like  from  the  ashes  of  its  many  confla- 
grations, and  an  Old  Boston,  whose  "outward  and 
visible  signs "  are  best  studied  in  that  picturesque, 
shabby  stronghold  of  ancient  story,  now  rapidly  de- 
generating into  a  "  slum  "  district — the  North  End. 

Boston,  viewed  without  regard  to  its  history,  is 
indeed  "Hamlet  presented  without  the  part  of 


30  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Hamlet."  It  would  be  interesting  to  conjecture  what 
the  city's  present  place  and  condition  might  be,  had 
Governor  Winthrop's  and  Deputy-Governor  Dudley's 
plan  of  making  "  New-towne  " — the  Cambridge  of  to- 
day— the  Bay  Colony's  principal  settlement,  been  exe- 
cuted. Instead,  and  fortunately,  Governor  Winthrop 
became  convinced  of  the  superiority  of  Boston  as  an 
embryo  "  county  seat.''  "  Trimountain,"  as  it  was  first 
called,  was  bought  in  1630  from  Rev.  William 
Blackstone,  who  dwelt  somewhere  between  the  Charles 
River  and  what  is  now  Louisburg  Square,  and  held 
the  proprietary  right  of  the  entire  Boston  Peninsula 
— a  sort  of  American  Selkirk,  "  monarch  of  all  he 
surveyed,  and  whose  right  there  was  none  to  dispute." 
He  was  "  bought  off,"  however,  for  the  modest 
sum  of  £30,  and  retired  to  what  was  then  the 
wilderness,  on  the  banks  of  the  Blackstone  River — 
named  after  him — and  left  "  Trimountain  "  to  the 
settlers.  Then  Boston  began  to  grow,  almost  with 
the  quickness  of  Jack's  fabled  beanstalk.  Always 
one  of  the  most  important  of  colonial  towns,  it  con- 
ducted itself  in  sturdy  Puritan  style,  fearing  God, 
honoring  the  King — with  reservations — burning 
witches  and  Quakers,  waxing  prosperous  on  cod- 
fish, and  placing  education  above  every  earthly  thing 
in  value,  until  the  exciting  events  of  the  Revolution, 
which  has  left  behind  it  relics  which  make  Boston  a 
veritable  "  old  curiosity  shop  "  for  the  antiquarian,  or 
indeed  the  ordinary  loyal  American,  who  can  spend  a 
happy  day,  or  week,  or  month,  prowling  around  the 
picturesque  narrow  streets,  crooked  as  the  proverbial 
ram's  horn,  of  Old  Boston. 

He    will    perhaps    turn    first,  as    I    did,    to   the 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  3] 

"cradle  of  Liberty "—Faneuil  Hall.  A  slight 
shock  will  await  him,  possibly,  in  the  discovery  that 
under  the  ancient  structure,  round  which  hover  so 
many  imperishable  memories  of  America's  early 
struggles  for  freedom,  is  a  market-house,  where  thrifty 
housewives  and  still  more  thrifty  farmers  chaffer, 
chat  and  drive  bargains  the  year  round,  and  which 
brings  into  the  city  a  comfortable  annual  income  of 
$20,000.  But  the  presence  of  the  money-changers 
in  the  temple  of  Freedom  does  not  disturb  the  "  solid 
men  of  Boston/'  who  are  practical  as  well  as  public- 
spirited.  The  market  itself  is  as  old  as  the  hall, 
which  was  erected  by  the  city  in  1762,  to  take  the 
place  of  the  old  market-house,  which  Peter  Faneuil 
had  built  at  his  own  expense  and  presented  to  the 
city  in  1742,  and  which  was  burned  down  in  1761. 

The  building  is  an  unpretending  but  substantial 
structure,  plainly  showing  its  age  both  in  the  exterior 
and  the  interior.  Its  size — seventy-four  feet  long  by 
seventy-five  feet  wide — is  apparently  increased  by  the 
lack  of  seats  on  the  main  floor  and  even  in  the  gallery, 
where  only  a  few  of  these  indispensable  adjuncts  to  the 
comfort  of  a  later  luxurious  generation  are  provided. 
The  hall  is  granted  rent  free  for  such  public  or  political 
meetings  as  the  city  authorities  may  approve,  and  proba- 
bly is  only  used  for  gatherings  where,  as  in  the  old  days, 
the  participants  bring  with  them  such  an  excess  of 
effervescent  enthusiasm  as  would  make  them  unwilling 
to  keep  their  seats  if  they  had  any.  The  walls  are 
embellished  by  portraits  of  Hancock,  Washington, 
Adams,  Everett,  Lincoln,  and  other  great  personages, 
and  by  Healy's  immense  painting — sixteen  by  thirty 
feet — of  "  Webster  Replying  to  Hayne." 


32     OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

For  a  short  time  Faneuil  Hall  was  occupied  by 
the  Boston  Post  Office,  while  that  institution,  whose 
early  days  were  somewhat  restless  ones,  was  seeking 
a  more  permanent  home.  For  thirty  years  after  the 
Revolution,  it  was  moved  about  from  pillar  to  post, 
occupying  at  one  time  a  building  on  the  site  of  Bos- 
ton's first  meeting-house,  and  at  another  the  Mer- 
chants' Exchange  Building,  whence  it  was  driven  by 
the  great  fire  of  1872.  Faneuil  Hall  was  next 
selected  as  the  temporary  headquarters,  next  the  Old 
South  Church,  after  which  the  Post  Office — a  veritable 
Wandering  Jew  among  Boston  public  institutions — 
was  finally  and  suitably  housed  under  its  own  roof- 
tree,  the  present  fine  building  on  Post  Office  Square. 

To  the  Old  South  Church  itself,  the  sightseer  next 
turns,  if  still  bent  on  historical  pilgrimages.  This 
venerable  building  of  unadorned  brick,  whose  name 
figures  so  prominently  in  Revolutionary  annals,  stands 
at  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Milk  streets.  Rows 
of  business  structures,  some  of  them  new  and  clean  as 
a  whistle  and  almost  impertinently  eloquent  of  the  im- 
portance of  this  world  and  its  goods,  cluster  around 
the  old  church  and  hem  it  in,  but  are  unable  to  jostle 
it  out  of  the  quiet  dignity  with  which  it  holds  its 
place,  its  heavenward-pointing  spire  preaching  the 
sermons  against  worldliness  which  are  no  longer 
heard  within  its  ancient  walls.  To  every  window  the 
fanciful  mind  can  summon  a  ghost — that  of  Benja- 
min Franklin,  who  was  baptized  and  attended  service 
here;  Whitfield,  who  here  delivered  some  of  the 
soul-searching,  soul-reaching  sermons,  which  swept 
America  like  a  Pentecostal  flame;  Warren,  who  here 
uttered  his  famous  words  on  the  anniversary  of  the 


3 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  35 

Boston  Massacre ;  of  the  patriot-orators  of  the  Revolu- 
tion and  the  organizers  of  the  Boston  Tea-Party, 
which  first  took  place  as  a  definite  scheme  within 
these  walls.  Here  and  there  a  red-coated  figure  would 
be  faintly  outlined — one  of  the  lawless  troop  of 
British  soldiers  who  in  1775  desecrated  the  church  by 
using  it  as  a  riding-school. 

At  present  the  church  is  used  as  a  museum,  where 
antique  curiosities  and  historical  relics  are  on  exhibi- 
tion to  the  public,  and  the  Old  South  Preservation 
Committee  is  making  strenuous  efforts  to  save  the 
building  from  the  iconoclastic  hand  of  Progress,  which 
has  dealt  blows  in  so  many  directions  in  Boston,  de- 
stroying a  large  number  of  interesting  landmarks.  Its 
congregation  left  it  long  ago,  in  obedience  to  that  in- 
exorable law  of  change  and  removal,  which  leaves  so 
many  old  churches  stranded  amid  the  business  sections 
of  so  many  of  our  prominent  cities,  and  settled  in  the 
"New  Old  South  Church"  at  Dartmouth  and  Boyls- 
ton  streets. 

It  is  curious,  and  in  its  way  disappointing  to  us  visitors 
from  other  cities  to  see  what  "  a  clean  sweep "  the 
broom  of  improvement  has  been  permitted  in  a  city  so 
intensely  and  justly  proud  of  its  historical  associations 
as  Boston.  Year  by  year  the  old  landmarks  disap- 
pear and  fine  new  buildings  rise  in  their  places  and 
Boston  is  apparently  satisfied  that  all  is  for  the  best. 
The  historic  Beacon,  for  which  Beacon  Hill  was  named 
and  which  was  erected  in  1634  to  give  alarm  to  the 
country  round  about  in  case  of  invasion,  is  not  only 
gone,  but  the  very  mound  where  it  stood  has  been 
levelled,  this  step  having  been  taken  in  1811.  The 
Beacon  had  disappeared  ten  years  before  and  a  shaft 


36     OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

sixty  feet  high,  dedicated  to  the  fallen  heroes  of 
Bunker  Hill,  had  been  erected  on  the  spot  and  of 
course  removed  when  the  mound  was  levelled.  The 
site  of  Washington's  old  lodgings  at  Court  and  Han- 
over street — a  fine  colonial  mansion,  later  occupied  by 
Daniel  Webster  and  by  Harrison  Gray  Otis,  the  cele- 
brated lawyer — is  now  taken  up  by  an  immense 
wholesale  and  retail  grocery  store ;  the  splendid  Han- 
cock mansion,  where  the  Revolutionary  patriot  enter- 
tained Lafayette,  D'Estaing,  and  many  other  notabili- 
ties of  the  day,  was  torn  down  in  1863,  despite  the  pro- 
tests of  antiquarian  enthusiasts.  The  double  house, 
in  one  part  of  which  Lafayette  lived  in  1825,  is  still 
standing;  the  other  half  of  it  was  occupied  during  his 
lifetime  by  a  distinguished  member  of  that  unsur- 
passed group  of  literati  who  helped  win  for  Boston  so 
much  of  her  intellectual  pre-eminence — George 
Ticknor,  the  Spanish  historian,  the  friend  of  Holmes, 
Lowell,  Whittier  and  Longfellow,  from  whom  the 
latter  is  supposed  to  have  drawn  his  portrait  of  the 
"  Historian  "  in  his  "  Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn."  The 
Boston  Public  Library,  that  magnificent  institution, 
which  has  done  so  much  to  spread  "  sweetness  and 
light,"  to  use  Matthew  Arnolds'  celebrated  definition 
of  culture,  among  the  people  of  the  "  Hub,"  counts 
Mr.  Ticknor  among  the  most  generous  of  its  bene- 
factors. 

One  interesting  spot  for  the  historical  pilgrim  is  the 
oldest  inn  in  Boston,  the  "  Hancock  House,"  near 
Faneuil  Hall,  which  sheltered  Talleyrand  and  Louis 
Philippe  during  the  French  reign  of  terror. 

In  addition  to  the  fever  for  improvement,  Boston 
owes  the  loss  of  many  of  her  time-hallowed  buildings 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  37 

to  a  more  disastrous  agency — that  of  the  conflagra- 
tions which  have  visited  her  with  strange  frequency. 
A  fire  in  1811,  which  swept  away  the  little  house  on 
Milk  street  where  Franklin  was  born — and  which  is 
now  occupied  by  the  Boston  Post — another  in  1874,  in 
which  more  than  one  hundred  buildings  were  de- 
stroyed; and  the  "Great  Boston  Fire"  of  1872,  fol- 
lowed by  conflagrations  in  1873,1874,  1877  and  1878, 
seemed  to  indicate  that  the  fire  fiend  had  selected 
Boston  as  his  especial  prey.  To  the  terrible  fire  of 
1872  many  precious  lives,  property  valued  at  eighty 
millions  of  dollars,  and  the  entire  section  of  the  city 
enclosed  by  Summer,  Washington,  Milk  and  Broad 
streets  were  sacrificed.  The  scene  was  one  a  witness 
never  could  forget.  Mingled  with  the  alarum  of  the 
fire-bells  and  the  screams  and  shouts  of  a  fear-stricken 
people  came  the  sound  of  terriffic  explosions,  those  of 
the  buildings  which  were  blown  up  in  the  hope  of 
thus  "  starving  out "  the  fire  by  making  gaps  which 
it  could  not  overstep,  and  to  still  further  complete  the 
desolation,  the  gas  was  shut  off,  leaving  the  city  in 
a  horror  of  darkness ;  but  the  flames  swept  on  like  a 
pursuing  Fury,  wrapping  the  doomed  city  still  closer 
in  her  embrace  of  death, and  who  was  not  satisfied  un- 
til she  had  left  the  business  centre  of  Boston  a  charred 
and  blackened  ruin. 

This  same  district  is  to-day,  however,  the  most  pros- 
perous and  architecturally  preposessing  of  the  business 
sections  of  the  city,  practically  illustrating  another 
phase  of  that  same  spirit  of  improvement  and  civic 
pride  which  has  overturned  so  many  ancient  idols  and 
to-day  threatens  others.  Indeed,  it  would  be  a  churl- 
ish disposition  which  would  lament  the  disappearance 


38     OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

of  the  old  edifices,  the  straightening  of  the  thorough- 
fares, the  alterations  without  number  which  have 
taken  place,  and  which  have  resulted  in  the  Boston 
of  to-day,  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  prosperous 
and  public-spirited  cities  in  the  world.  The  intel- 
ligence and  local  loyalty,  for  which  her  citizens  are 
renowned,  have  been  set  to  work  to  attain  one  object — - 
the  modest  goal  of  perfection.  Obstacles  which 
some  cities  might  have  contentedly  accepted  as  un- 
avoidable have  been  swept  away;  advantages  with 
which  other  cities  might  have  been  satisfied  have 
been  still  further  extended  and  improved.  The  783 
acres  originally  purchased  by  the  settlers  of  Boston 
from  William  Blaxton  for  £30  has  been  increased 
over  thirty  times,  until  the  city  limits  comprise 
23,661  acres ;  this  not  by  magic  as  it  would  seem, 
but  by  annexation  of  adjoining  boroughs — Roxbury, 
Dorchester,  Charlestown,  and  others — and  by  recla- 
mation of  the  seemingly  hopeless  marshy  land  to  the 
north  and  south  of  the  city.  The  "  Back-Bay  "  district, 
the  very  centre  of  Boston's  wealth,  fashion  and  re- 
finement, the  handsomest  residence  quarter  in 
America,  is  built  upon  this  "  made  land,"  which  it 
cost  the  city  about  $1,750,000  to  fill  in  and  otherwise 
render  solid. 

All  good  Bostonians,  like  the  rest  of  their  country- 
men, may  wish  to  go  to  Paris  when  they  die — that  point 
cannot  be  settled;  but  it  is  certain  that  they  all  wish  to 
go  to  the  Back-Bay  while  they  live.  And  who  can 
wonder?  To  drive  at  night  down  Commonwealth 
avenue,  the  most  aristocratic  street  in  this  aristocratic 
quarter,  is  to  view  a  scene  from  fairyland.  "The 
Avenue  "  itself  is  250  feet  wide  from  house  to  house 


SCENES    IN    BOSTON. 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  41 

and  175  feet  wide  from  curb  to  curb,  and  in  the  centre 
a  picturesque  strip  of  parkland,  adorned  with  statues 
and  bordered  with  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs, 
follows  its  entire  length.  On  either  side  of  the  street 
stand  palatial  hotels  and  magnificent  private  resi- 
dences, from  whose  innumerable  windows  twinkle  in- 
numerable lights,  which,  mingling  with  the  quadruple 
row  of  gas-lamps  which  look  like  a  winding  ribbon  of 
light,  make  the  vista  perfectly  dazzling  in  its  beauty. 
By  day,  when  the  Back  Bay  Park,  the  Public  Garden, 
the  fine  bridge  over  the  park  water-way  extension  and 
the  handsome  surrounding  and  intersecting  streets  can 
be  seen,  the  view  is  even  more  attractive. 

In  the  newer  parts  of  Boston  the  reproach  of 
crooked  streets,  which  has  given  her  sister  cities  oppor- 
tunity for  so  much  good-natured  "  chaff,"  is  removed, 
and  the  thoroughfares  are  laid  out  with  such  precision 
that  "  the  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,"  can  hardly 
"err  therein."  In  the  business  district  much  money 
has  been  spent  on  the  straightening  process,  a  fact 
whose  knowledge  prompts  the  bewildered  stranger  to 
exclaim,  "  Were  they  ever  worse  than  this?  "  Stories 
aimed  at  this  little  peculiarity  of  the  "  Hub  "  are  innu- 
merable, the  visitor  being  told  with  perfect  gravity  that 
if  he  follows  a  street  in  a  straight  line  he  will  find 
himself  at  his  original  starting-point — a  statement  the 
writer's  experience  can  pretty  nearly  verify.  The  best, 
if  not  the  most  credible,  of  these  tales  relates  how  a 
puzzled  pedestrian,  becoming  "  mixed  up  in  his  tracks," 
endeavored  to  overtake  a  man  who  was  walking  ahead 
of  him,  and  inquire  his  way.  The  faster  he  walked, 
however,  the  faster  the  other  man  walked,  until  it 
became  a  regular  chase,  and  the  now  thoroughly  con- 


42  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

fused  stranger  had  but  one  idea — to  catch  his  fellow- 
pedestrian  by  the  coat-tails,  if  need  be,  and  demand  to 
be  set  on  his  homeward  way.  Finally,  by  making  a 
frantic  forward  lurch,  he  succeeded— and  discovered 
that  the  coat-tails  he  was  grasping  were  his  own  ! 

The  true  Bostonian  is  secretly  rather  proud,  how- 
ever, of  this  distinguished  trait  of  his  beloved  city,  and 
is  willing  to  go  "  all  around  Robin  Hood's  barn  "  to 
get  to  his  destination. 

But  the  thing  of  which  the  Bostonian  is  proudest  of 
all  is  his  famous  Common,  whose  green  turf  and  noble 
shade-trees  have  formed  a  stage  and  background  for  so 
many  of  the  most  exciting  scenes  of  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  history.  Among  the  troops  which  have 
been  mustered  and  drilled  upon  it  were  a  portion  of  the 
forces  which  captured  Quebec  and  Louisburg  ;  and  the 
rehearsals  for  the  grim  drama  of  war,  which  later  was 
partly  performed  on  the  same  ground  by  red-coat  and 
continental,  took  place  here.  It  was  at  the  Common's 
foot  that  the  hated  "  lobster-backs  "  assembled  before  em- 
barking for  Lexington ;  on  the  Common  that  they 
marshalled  their  forces  for  the  conflict  at  Bunker  Hill. 
It  has  been  covered  with  white  tents  during  the  British 
occupation  of  Boston  ;  dotted  with  earthworks  behind 
which  the  enemy  crouched,  expecting  an  attack  by 
Washington  upon  their  stronghold.  It  was  on  Boston 
Common  that  the  school-boys  constructed  their  snow- 
men, whose  destruction  by  the  insolent  red-coats  sent 
an  indignant  deputation  of  young  Bostonians  to  com- 
plain to  General  Gage,  who,  stunned  by  what  the 
young  Bostonian  of  to-day  would  designate  as  "  the 
cheek  of  the  thing,"  promised  them  redress,  and 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  43 

exclaimed,  "These  boys  seem  to  take  in  the  love  of 
liberty  with  the  very  air  they  breathe." 

There  are  other  interesting  historical  incidents, 
recorded  in  connection  with  the  Common,  but  space 
forbids  their  narration.  I  would  rather  describe  it  as 
it  first  appeared  to  me,  a  beautiful  surprise,  a  gracious 
spot  of  greenness  and  of  silvery  waters  and  splendid 
shade-trees,  in  the  heart  of  the  busy  brick-bound  city. 
Here  the  children  play  and  coast,  as  they  did  in  the 
days  of  General  Gage;  here  the  lovers  walk,  on  the 
five  beautiful  broad  pathways,  the  Tremont  street, 
Park  street,  Beacon  street,  Charles  street  and  Boylston 
street  malls.  Here  the  invalids  and  old  folks  rest  on 
the  numerous  benches  ;  here  the  people  congregate  on 
summer  evenings  to  enjoy  the  free  open-air  concerts, 
which  are  given  from  the  band-stand.  "  Frog  Pond," 
a  pretty  lakelet,  near  Flagstaff  Hill,  and  a  fine  deer- 
park  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Boylston  street  mall,  are 
great  attractions.  The  Common  covers  forty-eight 
acres,  with  1000  stately  old  shade-trees,  and  the  iron 
fence  by  which  it  is  inclosed  measures  5932  feet. 

In  addition  to  its  natural  beauties,  the  Common  has 
two  fine  pieces  of  statuary,  the  Soldiers7  and  Sailors' 
Monument  on  Flagstaff  Hill,  and  the  Brener  Fountain. 
The  former  was  erected  in  1871  at  a  cost  of  $75,000. 
It  is  a  majestic  granite  shaft  in  the  Roman-Doric  style, 
seventy  feet  high,  surmounted  by  a  bronze  figure  of  the 
Genius  of  America,  eleven  feet  in  height.  At  the  base  of 
the  shaft  are  grouped  alto-relievo  figures  representing 
the  North,  the  South,  the  East,  and  the  West.  Four 
other  bronze  figures,  representing  Peace,  History,  the 
Army  and  the  Navy,  stand  on  projecting  pedestals 
around  the  foundation.  The  monument,  which  was 


44    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

executed  by  Martin  Mil  more,  was  Boston's  tribute  to 
her  fallen  heroes  of  the  Civil  War.  The  Brener 
Fountain  is  a  beautiful  bronze  casting  designed  by 
Lienard,  of  Paris,  with  bronze  figures  representing 
Neptune,  Amphitrite,  Acis,  and  Galatea  grouped  round 
the  base.  The  late  Gardner  Brener  presented  it  to  the 
city  in  1868. 

To  forget  the  Old  Elm  in  describing  the  Common, 
would  be  rank  disrespect  to  that  hoary  "  oldest  inhabi- 
tant," albeit  nothing  remains  of  it  now  but  its  memory. 
An  iron  fence  surrounds  the  spot  where  once  it  stood, 
and  a  vigorous  young  sapling  has  providentially 
sprung  up  in  its  place,  as  a  successor.  The  Old  Elm 
was  ancient  in  1630,  when  the  town  was  settled,  and 
was  one  of  its  most  interesting  landmarks  up  to  1876, 
when  it  was  blown  down. 

The  Public  Garden,  from  which  the  beautiful  Com- 
monwealth avenue  begins,  the  Back-Bay  Park,  which 
cost  a  million  of  dollars,  and  the  Arnold  Arboretum, 
where  Harvard  University  has  planted  and  maintained 
a  fine  horticultural  collection  for  the  pleasure  of  the 
public,  are  lovely  spots  on  whose  beauty  the  mind  would 
fain  linger,  but  whose  descriptions  must  be  omitted,  for 
all  Boston's  splendid  public  buildings  wait  in  stately 
array  their  share  of  attention.  Nowhere  has  the 
skilled  artist-architect  been  so  freely  permitted  to  carry 
out  his  designs  unhampered  by  stupidity  and  stinginess 
as  in  Boston,  and  the  result  has  been  ^  collection  of 
public  buildings  unsurpassed  by  those  of  any  modern 
city.  The  Boston  State  House  comes  first,  of  course — 
did  not  the  "  Autocrat  of  the  Breakfast  Table  "  term  it, 
with  loving  exaggeration,  the  "Hub  of  the  Solar 
System  ?  "  From  Beacon  Hill,  the  most  prominent 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  45 

coign  of  vantage  which  could  he  selected  for  it,  its 
gilded  dome  rises  majestically  against  the  blue  sky  and 
imperiously  beckons  the  visitor  to  come  and  pay  his 
respects  to  this  most  venerated  of  Boston  institutions. 
The  State  House  stands,  at  a  height  of  110  feet,  at  the 
junction  of  Beacon  and  Mt.  Vernon  streets  and  Han- 
cock avenue,  on  a  lot  which  Governor  Hancock  once 
used  for  pasturing  his  cows,  and  was  erected  in  1795, 
beginning  its  existence  in  a  blaze  of  glory,  with  the 
corner-stone  laid  by  Paul  Revere,  then  Grand  Master 
of  the  Masons,  and  an  oration  by  Samuel  Adams. 
The  building  contains  Doric  Hall,  which  is  approached 
by  a  fine  series  of  stone  terraces  from  Beacon  street ; 
Hall  of  Representatives,  the  Senate  Chamber,  the 
Government  Room,  and  the  State  Library. 

It  abounds  in  relics,  among  which  are  the  tattered 
shreds  of  flags  brought  back  by  Massachusetts  soldiers 
from  Southern  battlefields — a  sight  which  must  stir 
every  loyal  heart,  to  whatsoever  State  it  owes  alle- 
giance^ the  guns  carried  by  the  Concord  minute-men  in 
the  Revolutionary  conflict ;  and  duplicates  of  the  gift  to 
the  State  by  Charles  Sumner,  of  the  memorial  tablets 
of  the  Washington  family  in  England.  Doric  Hall 
contains  busts  of  Sumner,  Adams,  Lincoln,  and  other 
great  men,  and  several  fine  statues — one  of  Washing- 
ton, by  Chantrey,  and  one  by  Thomas  Ball ;  a  speaking 
likeness  in  marble  of  John  A.  Andrew,  the  indomita- 
ble old  War  Governor  of  Massachusetts. 

On  the  handsome  terraces  in  front  of  the  building 
stand  two  superb  bronzes,  one  is  the  Horace  Mann 
statue,  by  Emma  Stebbins,  which  was  erected  in  1865, 
and  paid  for  by  contributions  from  teachers  and  school 
children  all  over  Massachusetts  jtheother  Hiram  Powers' 


46     OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSERACE. 

statue  of  Daniel  Webster,  which  cost  $10,000.  It  was 
erected  in  1859,  and  was  the  second  statue  of  Webster 
which  the  famous  sculptor  wrought,  the  first,  the  prod- 
uct of  so  much  toil  and  pains  and  the  embodiment  of 
so  much  genius,  having  been  lost  at  sea. 

Last,  but  very  far  from  least  in  importance,  may  be 
mentioned  the  historic  codfish,  which  hangs  from  the 
ceiling  of  Assembly  Hall,  dangling  before  the  eyes  of 
the  legislators  in  perpetual  reminder  of  the  source  of 
Massachusetts'  present  greatness,  for  the  codfish  might 
by  a  stretch  of  Hibernian  rhetoric  be  described  as  the 
patron  saint  of  the  Bay  State. 

I  must  confess  to  having  been  one  of  the  50,000 
curious  ones  who,  it  is  computed,  annually  ascend  into 
the  gilded  cupola  and  "  view  the  landscape  o'er."  The 
spectacle  unrolled  panorama-like  before  the  sight  is 
indeed  a  feast  to  the  eyes. 

The  Old  State  House  of  1748,  built  on  the  site  of 
Boston's  earliest  town  hall,  is  now  used  as  a  historical 
museum  under  the  auspices  of  the  Bostonian  Society. 
Careful  restoration  has  perpetuated  many  of  the  old 
associations  -which  hallow  the  ancient  fane,  sacred  to 
loyalty  and  to  liberty.  The  old  council -chambers  have 
been  given  much  of  their  original  appearance,  and  the 
great  carving  of  the  Lion  and  the  Unicorn,  which 
savored  of  offence  to  patriotic  nostrils  and  so  was  taken 
down  from  its  gables  in  Revolutionary  times,  has  been 
replaced.  To  visit  this  building  is  a  liberal  education 
in  local  history. 

The  Boston  Post  Office,  of  whose  migrations  I  have 
spoken  earlier,  is  now  settled  for  good  and  all  in  a 
magnificent  structure  of  Cape  Ann  granite,  built  in 
Renaissance  style,  whose  corner-stone  was  laid  in  1871 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  47 

and  which  was  just  ready  for  the  addition  of  the  roof 
when  the  Great  Fire  of  1872  descended  upon  it  and  beat 
upon  it  so  fiercely  that  even  to-day  the  traces  of  the 
intense  heat  are  visible  on  parts  of  the  edifice. 
Damage  to  the  amount  of  $175,000  was  done.  The 
Sub-Treasury,  the  United  States  courts,  the  pension  and 
internal  revenue  offices  are  domiciled  here,  and  it  is 
considered  the  handsomest  public  building  in  all  New 
England,  having  cost  $6,000,000.  The  interior  fur- 
nishings are  sumptuous  in  the  extreme,  the  doors  and 
windows  in  the  Sub-Treasury  apartments  being  of  solid 
mahogany,  beautifully  polished.  The  "  marble  cash- 
room  "  is  a  splendid  hall,  decorated  in  Greek  style,  with 
wall-slabbing  of  dark  and  light  shades  of  Sienna  mar- 
ble and  graceful  pilasters  of  Sicilian  marble. 

The  City  Hall,  on  School  street,  is  the  seat  of  the 
municipal  housekeeping.  Here  the  departments  of 
streets,  water,  lighting,  police,  and  public  printing 
have  their  offices,  and  Common  Council  sits  in  august 
assemblage.  It  is  a  commanding  structure  of  granite, 
fireproof,  and  in  the  Renaissance  style.  Its  cost  was 
$500,000.  Two  fine  bronze  statues,  one  by  Greenough, 
of  Franklin,  one  by  Ball,  of  Josiah  Quincy,  ornament 
the  grassy  square  in  front  of  the  building. 

No  picture  of  Boston  would  be  complete  without 
that  old  landmark,  Tremont  Temple.  It  occupies 
the  former  site  of  the  Tremont  Theatre  and  contains 
one  of  the  largest  halls  in  the  city.  The  building  it- 
self, however,  sinks  into  insignificance  before  the  crowd 
of  associations  that  stir  the  blood  at  its  very  name. 
For  years  it  has  been  the  rallying  point  of  Boston's 
most  notable  gatherings— political,  intellectual,  and 
religious.  If,  instead  of  colorless  words,  we  could 


48  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

photograph  upon  this  page  the  pictures  those  old  walls 
have  looked  upon,  we  might  revel  in  a  gallery  of 
famous  portraits  such  as  the  world  has  rarely  seen. 
Edward  Everett,  Wendell  Phillips,  William  Lloyd 
Garrison,  Joseph  Cook,  Phillips  Brooks,  and  other 
master-spirits  of  the  age,  would  be  there.  And  there, 
too,  would  be  a  sprinkling  of  that  other  sex,  no  longer 
handicapped  by  the  epithet  "  gentler." 

But,  could  we  press  the  phonograph  as  well  as  the 
camera  into  our  service,  and  hear  again  the  thunders 
of  stormy  oratory,  the  clash  of  political  warfare,  and 
the  pleading  tenderness  of  religious  eloquence  that  has 
often  resounded  under  that  old  roof,  then  indeed  we 
might  well  forget  the  world  of  to-day  in  the  fascination 
of  this  drama  of  the  past. 

Architecturally,  Boston  combines  in  the  happiest 
way  all  that  is  beautiful  and  dignified  in  the  classic 
models  and  all  that  is  fresh  and  original  in  modern 
canons  of  building.  A  magnificent  group  of  buildings, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Boylston  and  Huntingdon  streets 
and  Copley  Square,  fairly  takes  the  breath  away  with 
its  beauty.  Trinity  Church  and  the  Museum  of  Fine 
Arts,  the  "  New  Old  South  Church "  and  the  new 
Boston  Public  Library,  form  such  a  quartet  of  splen- 
did edifices  as  even  the  travelled  eye  seldom  sees. 
The  Public  Library  is  an  embodied  Triumph — the 
symbol  of  that  great  heritage  of  culture  which  the  city 
pours  out  on  her  denizens  as  lavishly  and  as  freely  as 
water,  and  which,  like  "  the  gentle  dew  from  heaven, 
blesseth  him  that  gives  and  him  that  takes,"  return- 
ing to  enrich  the  community  with  its  diffused  presence, 
like  the  showers  which  return  to  the  bosom  of  the  river, 
the  moisture  the  sun  only  borrowed  for  a  space. 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  51 

Bostonians  have  always  been  proud  of  their  Public 
Library,  from  its  foundation  in  1852.  By  1885,  the 
Boylston  street  building,  with  accommodations  for 
250,000  volumes,  was  too  contracted  a  space  to  hold  the 
largest  public  library  in  the  world,  and  with  charac- 
teristic promptness  the  city  rose  to  the  occasion  and  em- 
bodied its  thought  that  "  nothing  can  be  too  good  for 
the  people "  in  the  beautiful  new  library  in  Copley 
Square,  which  cost  the  royal  sum  of  $2,600,000. 

The  long  chapter  of  description  which  this  splendid 
enterprise  merits  must  be  reluctantly  crowded  into  a 
few  lines.  Nothing,  however,  save  personal  observa- 
tion, can  give  an  adequate  perception  of  its  outward 
loveliness;  its  exterior  of  soft  cream-gray  granite,  with 
a  succession  of  noble  arched  windows  ranged  along  its 
fine  fa9ades  ;  its  arches,  pillars  and  floorings  of  rare 
marbles,  and  its  mosaics,  panels  and  carvings.  The  grand 
staircase  of  splendid  Sienna  marble,  opposite  the  main 
entrance,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world  ;  and  scholar 
or  philosopher  could  ask  no  more  attractive  spot  for 
thoughtful  promenade  than  the  beautiful  open  court, 
with  its  marble  basin  and  MacMonnies  fountain  in  the 
centre,  the  soft  green  of  its  surrounding  turf  affording 
grateful  rest  to  book- wearied  eyes,  and  the  pensive  beauty 
of  the  cloister-like  colonnade  forming  an  ideal  retreat. 

The  foremost  artists  of  the  world  are  represented  in 
the  interior  decoration.  The  famous  St.  Gaudens  seal, 
designed  by  Kenyon  Cox  and  executed  by  Augustus 
St.  Gaudens,  ornaments  the  central  arch  of  the  main 
vestibule ;  the  bronze  doors  are  by  Daniel  G.  French ; 
the  splendid  marble  lions  in  the  staircase  hall — erected 
as  memorials  to  their  martyred  comrades  by  two  regi- 
ments of  Massachusetts  volunteers — are  by  Louis  St. 


52  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Gaudens ;  and  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  James  McNeil 
Whistler,  Edwin  A.  Abbey  and  John  S.  Sargent  are 
among  the  celebrated  artists  who  have  contributed  to 
the  mural  decorations,  friezes  and  ceiling  frescoes. 

Six  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  volumes  at  present 
constitute  the  stock  of  the  library — a  vast  treasure- 
house  of  information,  instruction  and  pleasure  to 
which  any  citizen  of  Boston  can  have  access  by  simply 
registering  his  name,  and  which  among  other  valuable 
special  collections  includes  the  Brown  musical  library 
of  12,000  volumes  and  rare  autograph  manuscripts; 
the  Barton  Shaksperian  library,  one  of  the  finest  col- 
lections of  Shakes periana  extant,  valued  at  $250,000 ; 
the  Bowditch  mathematical  library  and  the  splendid 
Chamberlain  collection  of  autographs,  which  is  worth 
$60,000  and  represents  a  lifetime  of  work  on  the  part 
of  the  donor.  The  wonderful  pneumatic  and  electric 
system  of  tubes  and  rail  ways  which  connects  the  deli  very 
and  stackrooms  and  keeps  this  vast  collection  of  books, 
pamphlets  and  magazines  in  circulation,  smacks  almost 
of  the  conjurer's  craft.  Whatever  else  must  be 
crowded  out  of  a  visit  to  Boston,  the  Public  Library 
assuredly  should  not  be  passed  by. 

Trinity  Church  stands  within  hailing  distance  of 
the  Public  Library,  on  Boylston  and  Clarendon  streets 
— an  imposing  and  beautiful  edifice  of  granite  and 
freestone,  built  in  French  Romanesque  style,  with  a 
tower  211  feet  high.  Far  outside  of  Boston  has  the 
fame  of  Trinity  Church  penetrated,  owing  not  to  the 
fact  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  splendid,  costly  and 
fashionable  churches  in  the  country,  but  to  its  ever- 
revered  and  ever-mourned  rector,  the  late  Phillips 
Brooks,  Bishop  of  Massachusetts,  whose  massive  figure 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  53 

will  stand  out  against  the  horizon  for  many  a  year  as 
the  most  striking  speaker  and  deeply  spiritual  thinker 
America  has  ever  known. 

From  Copley  Square,  not  far  from  Trinity,  rise  the 
spires  of  the  "  New  Old  South "  Church,  a  superb 
structure  in  North  Italian  Gothic  style,  rich  in 
beautiful  stone-work,  carvings  and  stained  glass.  It 
was  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  half  a  million  of  dollars 
to  take  the  place  of  the  disused  "  Old  South "  on 
Washington  street.  Another  prominent  church  is  the 
First  Church,  at  Marl  borough  and  Berkeley  streets, 
the  lineal  descendant  of  the  humble  little  mud-walled 
meeting-house  which  was  the  first  consecrated  roof 
under  which  the  good  folk  of  Boston  gathered  for  di- 
vine worship.  The  congregation  of  that  day  could 
scarce  believe  their  sober  Puritan  eyes  could  they  be- 
hold the  $325,000  church  which  was  built  in  1868  to 
continue  the  succession  which  had  begun  with  the 
little  mud  meeting-house  of  1632. 

King!s  Chapel,  with  its  ancient  burying-ground,  is 
one  of  the  most  famous  churches  in  Boston,  having 
been  the  chapel  of  the  royal  governor,  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy,  and  other  official  representatives  of 
the  "  principalities  and  powers  "  of  the  mother  coun- 
try. Massive,  almost  sombre,  in  its  exterior,  and 
quaint  and  picturesque  within,  the  old  church  stands, 
with  few  changes,  as  erected  in  1749,  with  its  old-fash- 
ioned pulpit  and  sounding-board,  prim,  straight  pillars, 
and  antique  high-backed  pews  which  recall  the  remark 
of  the  little  girl,  that  when  she  went  to  church  she 
"  went  into  a  cupboard  and  climbed  up  on  the  shelf." 
Its  burying-ground  is  believed  to  be  the  oldest  in  the 
city.  Christ  Church,  built  in  1723,  is  the  oldest  church 


54  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

edifice  in  the  city.  Its  age-mellowed  chime  of  bells 
was  the  first  ever  brought  into  this  country,  and  the 
first  American  Sunday-school  was  established  there  in 
1816.  To-day  its  tall  steeple,  which  on  the  eve  of 
Lexington's  conflict  bore  the  signal  lanterns  of  Paul 
Revere,  is  the  most  conspicuous  object  in  the  North 
End,  where  the  old-time  aristocrats  who  worshipped 
in  Christ  Church  have  given  place  to  a  poverty-stricken 
foreign  population  to  whom  the  church  is  little  and  its 
traditions  less.  Churches  which  well  deserve  more 
extended  mention,  could  space  permit,  are  the  beautiful 
Gothic  Cathedral  of  the  Holy  Cross,  with  its  fine 
organ  and  splendid  high-altar  of  onyx  and  marble; 
Tremont  Temple,  whose  hall  is  the  largest  in  Boston; 
and  the  South  Congregational  Church,  presided  over 
by  Rev.  Edward  Everett  Hale,  author  of  "  The 
Man  without  a  Country "  and  other  world-famous 
literary  productions,  and  originator  of  the  equally 
famous  "  Ten  Times  One  "  clubs. 

Boston's  religious  history  is  most  interesting,  although 
almost  kaleidoscopic  in  its  changes.  From  being  the 
stronghold  of  Puritan  orthodoxy  it  has  become  the 
headquarters  of  liberal  Unitarianisra.  King's  Chapel 
is  a  curious  instance;  originally  an  Episcopal  church 
a-nd  congregation,  it  became  Unitarian  in  1787,  retain- 
ing the  Episcopal  liturgy  with  necessary  changes,  and 
now  doctrines  are  preached  over  the  tombs  of  the  dead 
dignitaries  interred  beneath  the  church  floor,  diamet- 
rically opposed  to  those  in  which  they  lived,  died  and 
were  buried.  Though  all  denominations  of  course 
flourish  within  her  walls,  Boston  is  still  strongly  Con- 
gregational in  her  leanings. 

From  the  churches  to  the  schools  is  a  natural  tran- 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  55 

sition.  The  founders  of  Boston's  greatness  placed  the 
two  influences  side  by  side  in  importance,  and  their 
wisdom  in  doing  so  has  had  its  justification.  The 
current  "  poking  of  fun  "  at  the  "  Boston  school-ma'am," 
her  glasses,  her  learning  and  her  devotion  to  Brown- 
ing ;  and  the  Boston  infant,  who  converses  in  polysyl- 
lables almost  from  his  birth,  has  its  foundation  in  the 
fact,  everywhere  admitted,  that  nowhere  are  intelli^ 
gence  and  culture  so  widely  diffused  in  all  ranks  of 
life  as  in  Boston.  The  free-school  system,  an  experi- 
ment which  she  was  the  first  American  city  to  inaugu- 
rate, is  considered  by  educators  to  lead  the  world.  Tho 
city's  annual  expenditures  for  her  public  schools,  of 
which  there  are  over  500,  amount  to  about  $2,000,000, 
and  from  the  kindergarten  to  the  High  School,  where 
the  pupils  can  be  prepared  for  college,  the  youth  of 
the  city  are  carefully  watched,  trained,  instructed,  and 
all  that  is  best  in  them  drawn  out.  Even  in  summer, 
"  vacation  schools  "  are  held,  where  the  children  who 
would  otherwise  be  running  wild  in  the  streets  can 
learn  sewing,  box-making,  cooking  and  other  useful 
branches. 

The  English  High  and  Latin  School  is  the  largest 
free  public  school  building  in  the  world,  being  423 
feet  long  by  220  feet  wide.  It  is  a  fine  structure  in 
Renaissance  style,  with  every  advantage  and  improve- 
ment looking  to  health  and  convenience  that  even  the 
progressive  Boston  mind  could  think  of.  It  would  be 
a  sluggish  soul  indeed  that  would  not  be  thrilled  by 
the  sight  of  the  entire  school-battalion  going  through 
its  exercises  in  the  immense  drill-room,  and  realize  the 
hopeful  future  for  this  vast  army  of  coming  citizens, 


56  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

who  are  thus  early  and  thus  admirably  taught  the 
priceless  lesson  of  discipline. 

The  Boston  Normal  School,  the  Girls'  High  School 
and  the  Public  Latin  School  for  girls,  fully  .cover  the 
demand  for  the  higher  education  of  women.  The 
latter  institution  is  the  fruit  of  the  efforts  of  the 
Society  for  the  University  Education  of  Women,  and 
its  graduates  enter  the  female  colleges  with  ease. 
Wellesley,  the  "  College  Beautiful/7  as  its  students  have 
fondly  christened  it,  is  situated  close  to  Boston  in  the 
beautiful  village  of  Wellesley,  where  feminine  educa- 
tion is  conducted  almost  on  ideal  lines.  No  woman's 
college  in  the  world  has  so  many  students,  or  so  beau- 
tiful a  home  in  which  to  shelter  the  fair  heads,  in- 
wardly crammed  and  running  over  with  knowledge, 
and  outwardly  adorned,  either  in  fact  or  in  prospective, 
with  the  scholastic  cap  of  learning.  Since  its  opening 
in  1875,  Wellesley  has  almost  created  a  new  era  in 
woman's  education,  and  its  curriculum  is  the  same  as 
those  of  the  most  advanced  male  colleges.  The  Col- 
lege Aid  Society,  which  at  an  annual  cost  of  from 
$6000  to  $7000  helps  ambitious  girlhood,  for  whom 
straitened  means  would  otherwise  render  a  university 
education  impossible,  is  an  interesting  feature  of  the 
college. 

What  Wellesley  has  for  twenty  years  been  to  Ameri- 
can girlhood,  Harvard  University  has  for  150  years 
been  to  American  young  manhood,  and  though  its  chief 
departments  are  located  at  Cambridge,  it  may  still  be 
fairly  ranked  with  Bostonian  institutions.  The  tie 
which  connects  the  Cambridge  University  and  the 
capital  of  Massachusetts  is  closer  than  that  existing 
between  mere  neighbors — it  is  a  veritable  bond  of  kin- 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS,  59 

ship.  It  might  be  said  that  from  the  opening  of  the 
University  in  1638,  Boston  made  Harvard  and  Har- 
vard Boston.  Its  illustrious  founder,  John  Harvard, 
was  a  resident  of  Charlestown,  now  a  part  of  Boston — 
and  his  monument,  erected  by  subscriptions  of  Harvard 
graduates,  is  one  of  the  principal  "  sights  "  of  that  dis- 
trict, where  it  stands  near  the  Old  State  Prison.  To  its 
classic  groves  Boston  has  sent,  and  from  them  received 
again,  the  noblest  of  her  sons ;  and  three  of  her  de- 
partments, the  Bussey  Institution  of  Agriculture,  the 
Medical  School  and  the  Dental  School,  are  situated 
within  the  limits  of  Boston  proper.  Harvard  Uni- 
versity at  present  owns  property  valued  at  $6,000,000, 
and  accommodates  nearly  2000  pupils.  In  addition 
to  the  departments  already  mentioned  and  which  are 
located  in  Boston,  the  principal  sections  are  Harvard 
College,  the  Jefferson  Laboratory,  the  Lawrence 
Scientific  School,  the  new  Law  School,  the  Divinity 
School,  the  Harvard  Library,  Botanical  Gardens, 
Observatory,  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Pea- 
body  Museum  of  Archaeology  and  Ethnology,  Agassiz 
Museum,  Hemenway  Gymnasium  and  Memorial  Hall. 
To  wander  through  its  ancient  halls,  the  oldest  of 
which  dates  back  to  1720,  and  which  have  been  used 
by  Congress,  is  to  visit  the  cradle  of  university  educa- 
tion in  America. 

Boston  University,  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology,  one  of  the  best  scientific  colleges  on  the 
continent,  Tufts  College  and  the  celebrated  Chauncy 
Hall  School,  are  among  the  finest  of  Boston's  many 
admirable  educational  institutions. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  Harvard  Monument, 
but  not  of  the  others  among  the  scores  of  fine  examples 


(JO  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

of  the  sculptor's  art  which  are  scattered  throughout 
the  city  in  generous  profusion  for  the  delight  and  the 
education  of  the  public  eye.  The  famous  Bunker  Hill 
Monument  was  naturally  one  of  the  first  objects  sought 
out  by  the  writer  on  the  occasion  of  his  first  visit  to 
Boston.  This  splendid  shaft  of  granite  was  dedicated 
to  the  fallen  patriots  of  Bunker  Hill  in  1841,  the 
corner-stone  having  been  laid  in  1825  by  General 
Lafayette — Daniel  Webster  delivering  the  orations 
on  both  occasions.  Its  site,  on  Monument  Square, 
Breed's  Hill,  is  the  spot  where  the  Americans  threw 
up  the  redoubt  on  the  night  before  the  memorable 
battle,  and  a  tablet  at  its  foot  marks  the  place  where 
the  illustrious  Warren  fell. 

The  monument  is  221 J  feet  high — a  fact  fully  real- 
ized only  by  climbing  the  259  steps  of  the  spiral  stair- 
case of  stone  in  the  interior  of  the  shaft  which  leads 
to  a  small  chamber  near  the  apex,  from  which  four 
windows  look  out  upon  the  surrounding  country — a 
superb  vista.  The  cost  of  this  monument  was 
$150,000. 

In  the  Public  Garden,  in  the  Back  Bay  district, 
across  from  Commonwealth  avenue,  may  be  seen  one 
of  the  largest  pieces  of  statuary  in  America,  and,  ac- 
cording to  some  connoisseurs,  the  handsomest  in  Bos- 
ton. This  is  Ball's  huge  statue  of  Washington,  which 
measures  twenty-two  feet  in  height.  The  statue  was 
unveiled  in  1869,  and  it  is  said  that  not  a  stroke  of 
work  was  laid  upon  it  by  any  hand  of  artisan  or  artist 
outside  of  Massachusetts.  The  Beacon  street  side  of 
the  Public  Garden  contains  another  famous  statue — 
that  of  Edward  Everett,  by  W.  W.  Story.  Other 
great  citizens  whose  memory  has  been  perpetuated  in 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS.  Q\ 

life-like  marble  are  Samuel  Adams,  William  Lloyd 
Garrison  and  Colonel  William  Prescott.  The  Eman- 
cipation Group  is  a  duplicate  of  the  "Freed man's  Me- 
morial" statue  in  Washington.  The  soldiers'  monu- 
ments in  Dorchester,  Charlestown,  Roxbury,  West 
Roxbury  and  Brighton  commemorate  the  unnamed, 
uncounted,  but  not  unhonored  dead  who  laid  down 
their  lives  on  the  battlefields  of  the  Civil  War. 

"The  bravely  dumb  who  did  their  deed, 
And  scorned  to  blot  it  with  a  name ; 
Men  of  the  plain,  heroic  breed, 

Who  loved  Heaven's  silence  more  than  fame." 

An  interesting  object  is  the  Ether  Monument  on 
the  Arlington  street  side  of  the  Public  Garden,  erected 
in  recognition  of  the  fact  that  it  was  in  the  Massa- 
chusetts General  Hospital — in  the  face  of  terrible 
opposition  and  coldness  and  discouragement,  as  history 
tells  us,  though  the  marble  does  not — that  Dr.  Sims 
first  gave  the  world  his  wonderful  discovery  of  the 
power  of  ether  to  cause  insensibility  to  pain. 

That  there  should  be  so  many  of  these  fine  pieces 
in  Boston's  parks  and  public  places  is  matter  for  con- 
gratulation but  scarcely  for  surprise.  As  a  patron  of 
music,  literature,  art  and  all  the  external  graces  of 
civilization  she  has  so  long  and  so  easily  held  her  su- 
premacy that  one  is  half  inclined  to  believe  that  at 
least  a  delegation  of  the  Muses,  if  not  the  whole 
sisterhood,  had  exchanged  the  lonely  and  unappre- 
ciated grandeur  of  Parnassus  for  a  seat  on  one  of 
Boston's  three  hills.  The  Handel  and  Haydn  Society, 
the  oldest  musical  society  in  the  United  States ;  the 
Harvard  Musical  Association;  the  famous  Boston 


62  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Symphony  Orchestra  and  the  Orpheus  Club,  speak — 
and  right  musically — of  Boston's  love  for  the  art  of 
which  Cecilia  was  patron  saint.  Music  Hall,  an  im- 
mense edifice  near  Tremont  street,  is  the  home  of 
music  in  Boston.  Here  the  symphony  concerts  are 
held  weekly,  arid  here  all  the  musical  "  stars"  whose 
orbit  includes  Boston  make  their  first  appearance  be- 
fore a  critical  "  Hub"  audience.  Its  great  organ,  with 
over  5,000  pipes,  is  one  of  the  largest  ever  made. 

The  idea  of  a  national  university  of  music — sneered 
at  and  scouted  when  a  few  enthusiasts  first  talked  and 
dreamed  of  it — took  shape  in  1867  in  the  now  famous 
New  England  Conservatory  of  Music,  founded  by 
Eben  Tourjee.  It  is  a  magnificent  school  in  a  mag- 
nificent home — the  old  St.  James7  Hotel  on  Franklin 
Square — with  a  hundred  teachers  from  the  very  fore- 
most rank  of  their  profession.  The  conservatory  has 
possibly  done  more  for  New  England  culture  than 
any  other  influence  save  Harvard  University. 

The  literary  life  of  Boston  needs  neither  chronicler 
nor  comment.  Such  men  as  Thomas  Bailey  Aldrich, 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  Francis  Parkman,  Prescott, 
the  historian,  Longfellow,  Lowell  and  countless  others 
who,  living,  have  made  the  city  their  home,  or,  dead, 
sleep  in  its  chambers  of  Peace,  have  cast  a  glamour  of 
books  and  bookmen  and  book-life  around  her  until 
her  title  of  "The  Athens  of  America"  has  passed  from 
jest  to  earnest.  The  earliest  newspaper  in  America 
was  the  Boston  News  Letter;  and  to-day  its  many 
newspapers  maintain  the  highest  standard  of  "  up-to- 
date"  journalism  in  the  dignified,  not  the  degrading 
sense  of  the  word.  Boston  is  indeed  a  "  bookworm's 
paradise,"  with  its  splendid  free  lending  library  and 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVI&ONS.  63 

low-priced  book-stores,  making  access  to  the  best 
authors  possible  to  the  poorest.  The  Atlantic  Monthly, 
which  for  so  many  years  has  occupied  a  place  unique 
and  unapproachable  among  American  magazines,  is 
published  here. 

Art  is  represented  by  the  magnificent  Museum  of 
Fine  Arts,  with  its  beautiful  exterior  and  interior 
decorations  and  fine  collection  of  antiques  and  art  ob- 
jects ;  the  Art  Club,  the  Sketch  and  the  Paint  and 
Clay  clubs,  as  well  as  by  the  innumerable  paintings 
and  statues  appearing  in  public  places ;  by  the  Athe- 
naeum, the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences, 
the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,  the  Warren 
Museum  and  the  Lowell  Institute  free  lectures. 

To  draw  this  brief  study  of  Boston  to  a  close 
without  mentioning  her  countless  charities  would  be  a 
grave  omission,  since  these  form  so  large  a  part  of  the 
city's  life  and  activities.  As  is  always  the  case  in 
great  towns,  two  hands  are  ever  outstretched — that  of 
Lazarus,  pleading,  demanding,  and  that  of  Dives — 
more  unselfish  now  than  in  the  days  of  the  parable — 
giving  again  and  yet  again.  Boston's  philanthropists 
flatter  themselves  that  there  the  giving  is  rather  more 
judicious,  as  well  as  generous,  than  is  frequently  the 
case ;  and  that  "  the  pauperizing  of  the  poor,"  that 
consummation  devoutly  to  be  avoided,  is  a  minimized 
danger.  The  "  Central  Charity  Bureau "  and  the 
"  Associated  Charities  "  systematize  the  work  of  relief, 
prevent  imposture  and  duplication  of  charity,  and  do 
an  invaluable  service  to  the  different  organizations. 
Private  subscriptions  of  citizens  maintain  the  work, 
which  is  carried  on  in  three  fine  buildings  of  brick 
and  stone  on  Chardon  street,  one  of  which  is  used  as  a 


64  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

temporary  home  for  destitute  women  and  children. 
The  Massachusetts  General  Hospital — which,  save  for 
the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  is  the  oldest  in  the  country 
— the  Boston  City  Hospital,  the  New  England  Hos- 
pital for  Women  and  Children,  and  a  number  of  other 
finely-organized  institutions  care  efficiently  for  the 
city's  sick  and  suffering.  Orphan  asylums,  reform 
schools,  missions  of  various  sorts,  and  retreats  for  the 
aged  and  indigent,  are  numerous. 

One  of  the  most  unique  and  interesting  among 
these  charities  is  "  The  Children's  Mission  to  the 
Children  of  the  Destitute,"  which  aims  to  bring  the 
little  ones  of  these  two  sadly  separated  classes,  the 
poor  and  the  well-to-do,  in  contact  for  their  mutual 
benefit.  By  its  agency  the  forlorn  little  waifs  of  the 
streets  are  provided  with  home  and  friends,  religious 
and  secular  instruction,  and  employment  whenever 
necessary  or  advisable.  Still  more  unique  is  the 
Massachusetts  Charitable  Mechanics'  Association, 
whose  vast  building  and  hall  on  Huntingdon  avenue 
occupies  an  area  of  over  110,000  square  feet.  As 
early  as  1795  this  association  was  founded  to  extend  a 
helping  hand  to  mechanics  in  difficulties,  to  establish 
libraries  and  classes  for  apprentices,  offer  premiums 
for  inventions  and  improvements  in  trades,  and  give 
every  encouragement  to  the  tradesman.  The  building 
is  a  beautiful  as  well  as  a  vast  structure,  and  eight 
thousand  people  can  be  seated  in  the  grand  hall.  The 
mechanics'  festivals,  fairs,  and  exhibitions  of  indus- 
try are  held  here  from  time  to  time,  when  there  is 
much  awarding  of  medals,  prizes  and  honors. 

On  Boston's  commercial  greatness  there  is  no  space 
to  touch.  Nor  is  it  needed.  Could  her  schools,  her 


BOSTON  AND  ITS  ENVIMONS.  65 

churches,  her  charities,  her  institutions,  public  and 
private,  which  have  here  been  outlined,  flourish  with- 
out the  backbone  of  Puritan  thrift  and  the  framework 
of  prosperity  which  have  made  her  one  of  the  wealth- 
iest of  cities?  The  solid  business  foundation  is  appar- 
ent to  all  who  visit  her  teeming  marts  and.  ex  changes. 
But  the  "  power  behind  the  throne  "  is  kept  with  rare 
judgment  in  the  background;  and  when  the  visitor 
conies  to  kiss  the  hand  of  the  "  Queen  of  the  Common- 
wealth "  he  sees  only  her  chosen  handmaids — Ambi- 
tion, Culture,  Philanthropy,  Religion.  On  these, 
finally,  she  rests  her  claims  to  greatness. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LECTURE   AT   TREMONT   TEMPLE. 

]ECTURING  in  the  towns  I  purposed 
visiting  was  an  after  consideration  of 
secondary  importance — a  sort  of  adjunct 
to  the  journey  and  the  objects  I  had 
in  view.  It  was  thought  that  it  might 
afford  some  facilities  for  meeting  large 
numbers  of  people  face  to  face  in  the 
different  sections  of  the  country  through 
which  I  designed  to  pass,  and  thus 
enable  me  the  better  to  learn  something  of  their  social 
customs,  industries  and  general  progress  in  the  arts 
of  civilization. 

The  subject  decided  upon  for  the  lecture  was 
"  Echoes  from  the  Revolution,"  and  was  intended  to 
be  in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  the  Centennial  year. 
The  fact  that  I  had  been  a  cavalryman  during  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  and  the  novelty  of  an  equestrian 
journey  of  such  magnitude  would,  I  estimated,  very 
naturally  awaken  considerable  interest  and  a  desire 
on  the  part  of  many  to  hear  what  I  had  to  say  of  the 
heroes  of  "  76." 

My  lecture  was  a  restrospective  view  of  the  leading 
incidents  of  the  Revolution,  with  especial  reference  to 
some  of  the  sturdy  heroes  and  stirring  scenes  of  that 
(66) 


LECTURE  AT  TREMONT  TEMPLE.     (57 

most  eventful  period  in  American  History.  Briefly 
referring  to  the  causes  which  led  up  to  the  war,  I 
started  with  the  Ride  of  Paul  Revere  from  Boston 
the  night  before  the. Battle  of  Lexington,  and  closed 
with  the  Surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown. 

It  was  not  my  wish  or  intention  to  derive  any  pe- 
cuniary benefit  from  my  lectures  ;  but  being  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  thoroughly 
in  sympathy  with  the  aims  and  benevolent  projects  of 
my  soldier  friends,  it  was  proposed  to  donate  the  pro- 
ceeds to  the  Relief  Fund  of  that  patriotic  organiza- 
tion. 

Fully  equipped,  the  weather  favorable  and  roads  in 
good  condition,  I  was  anxious  to  begin  my  journey 
early  in  May.  It  was  therefore  arranged,  as  previously 
suggested,  that  I  should  lecture  at  Tremont  Temple  on 
the  evening  of  May  eighth  under  the  auspices  and  for 
the  benefit  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Relief  Fund. 

The  subjoined  fraternal  and  highly  complimentary 
letter  of^ introduction  from  Captain  Frank  M.  Clark 
of  New  York  was  received  by  the  committee  of  ar- 
rangements soon  after  my  arrival  in  Boston. 

4  IRVING  PLACE, 
New  York,  April  20,  1876. 
To  COMRADES  OF  THE  G.  A.  E. : 

I  have  been  intimately  acquainted  with  Captain  Willard  Glazier, 
a  comrade  in  good  standing  of  Post  No.  29,  Department  of  New 
York,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  for  the  past  eight  years,  and 
know  him  to  be  worthy  the  confidence  of  every  loyal  man.  He  is 
an  intelligent  and  courteous  gentleman,  an  author  of  good  repute,  a 
soldier  whose  record  is  without  a  stain,  and  a  true  comrade  of  the 
"  Grand  Army."  I  bespeak  for  him  the  earnest  and  cordial  support 
of  all  comrades  of  the  Order. 

Yours  very  truly  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 

FRANK  M.  CLARK, 
Late  A.  A.  G.  Department  of  New  York,  G.  A.  R 


68  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

I  may  add  that,  as  this  was  the  first  occasion  of  any 
importance  on  which  I  had  been  expected  to  appear  be- 
fore a  public  assemblage,  I  was  strongly  recommended 
to  deliver  my  initial  lecture  before  a  smaller  and 
less  critical  audience  than  I  was  likely  to  confront  in 
Boston,  and  thus  prepare  myself  for  a  later  appearance 
iti  the  literary  capital  ;  but  I  reasoned  from  the  stand- 
point of  a  soldier  that,  as  lecturing  was  a  new  experi- 
ence to  me,  my  military  training  dictated  that  if  I 
could  carry  the  strongest  position  in  the  line  I  need 
have  but  little,  if  any,  concern  for  the  weaker  ones,  and 
hence  resolved  to  deliver  my  first  lecture  at  Tremont 
Temple.  I  was  introduced  by  Captain  Theodore  L. 
Kelly,  commander  of  Post  15,  Department  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, G.  A.  R.,  and  was  honored  by  the  presence 
on  the  platform  of  representatives  from  nearly  all  of 
the  Posts  of  Boston  and  adjacent  cities.  In  presenting 
me  Captain  Kelly  spoke  in  the  following  most  flatter- 
ing terms : 

"  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  :  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  have 
the  honor  of  introducing  to  you  one  who,  by  his  services 
in  the  field  and  by  the  works  of  his  pen,  is  entitled  to  your 
consideration,  and  the  confidence  of  the  comrades  of  the 
'  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. '  I  desire  to  say  that  he 
comes  well  accredited,  furnished  with  the  proper  vouchers  and 
documents,  and  highly  endorsed  and  recommended  by  the 
officers  of  the  Department  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
Though  young  in  years,  his  life  has  been  one  of  varied  and 
exciting  experience.  Born  in  the  wilds  of  St.  Lawrence 
County,  New  York,  his  education  was  drawn  from  the  great 
book  of  Nature ;  and  from  his  surroundings  he  early  imbibed 
a  love  of  liberty.  His  early  associations  naturally  invested 
him  with  a  love  of  adventure  and  excitement,  and  when  the 
call  of  war  was  heard  he  at  once  responded,  and  enlisted  in 
the  Harris  Light  Cavalry,  with  which  corps  he  passed  through 


LECTURE  AT  TREMONT  TEMPLE.  69 

many  exciting  scenes  of  march  and  fray.  His  experience 
amid  the  various  vicissitudes  of  the  war,  in  camp  and  field 
and  prison,  have  been  vividly  portrayed  by  his  pen  in  his 
various  publications.  Still  inspired  by  this  love  of  adventure, 
he  proposes  to  undertake  the  novelty  of  a  journey  across  the 
Continent  in  the  saddle.  His  objects  are  manifold.  While 
visiting  scenes  and  becoming  more  familiar  with  his  own 
country,  he  will  collect  facts  and  information  for  a  new  book, 
and  at  his  various  stopping-places  he  will  lecture  under  the 
auspices  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  '  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,'  to  whose  fraternal  regard  he  is  most  warmly  com- 
mended. Allow  me  then,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  without 
further  ceremony,  to  present  to  you  the  Soldier- Author,  and 
our  comrade,  Willard  Glazier. " 

I  was  much  gratified  on  the  morning  of  the  ninth 
to  find  commendatory  reference  to  my  lecture  in  the 
leading  journals  of  Boston,  for  I  will  frankly  admit 
that  I  had  had  some  misgivings  as  to  the  verdict  of  the 
critics,  and  rather  expected  to  be  "handled  without 
gloves"  in  some  of  the  first  cities  on  the  programme. 
Of  the  dailies  which  came  to  my  notice  the  Globe 
said  : — 

"  A  very  fair  audience  considering  the  unfair  condition  of  the 
elements,  was  gathered  in  Treraont  Temple  last  night  to  hear  Cap- 
tain Willard  Glazier's  lecture  upon  '  Echoes  from  the  Revolution.' 
The  frequent  applause  of  the  audience  evinced  not  only  a  sympa- 
thy with  the  subject,  but  an  evident  liking  of  the  manner  in  which 
it  was  delivered.  The  lecture  itself  was  a  retrospective  view  of  the 
leading  incidents  of  the  Revolution.  It  would  have  been  unfair  to 
expect  to  hear  anything  very  new  upon  a  subject  with  which  the 
veriest  school-boy  is  familiar  ;  but  Captain  Glazier  wove  the  events 
together  in  a  manner  which  freed  the  lecture  from  that  most 
unpardonable  of  all  faults,  which  can  be  committed  upon  the  plat- 
form— dul ness.  He  passed  over,  in  his  consideration  of  the  Revo- 
lution, the  old  scenes  up  to  the  time  when  Cornwallis  surrendered 
up  his  sword  and  command  to  George  Washington.  'The  year 
1876,'  said  Captain  Glazier,  '  re-echoes  the  scenes  and  events  of  a 
hundred  years  ago.  In  imagination  we  make  a  pilgrimage  back  to 


70  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  Revolution.  We  visit  the  fields  whereon  our  ancestors  fought 
for  liberty  and  a  republic.  We  follow  patriots  from  Lexington  to 
Yorktown.  I  see  them  pushing  their  way  through  the  ice  of  the 
Delaware — I  see  them  at  Saratoga,  at  Bennington,  at  Princeton, 
and  at  Monmouth.  I  follow  Marion  and  his  daring  troopers 
through  the  swamps  of  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas  ;'  and  in  follow- 
ing them  up,  the  lecturer  interspersed  his  exciting  narrative  with 
sundry  droll  episodes.  Treating  of  the  battles  of  Trenton  and 
Princeton,  he  expatiated  upon  the  devoted  heroism  of  John  Stark, 
and  briefly  traced  his  career  until,  at  Bennington,  Burgoyne's 
victor  announced  to  his  comrades,  'We  must  conquer  to-day,  my 
boys,  or  to-night  Molly  Stark's  a  widow.'  One  battle  after  another 
was  handled  by  the  lecturer  in  a  pleasing  manner,  showing  that  lie 
was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  subject  he  had  chosen  for  his 
theme.  After  speaking  in  a  most  zealous  manner  of  the  troops  on 
land,  Captain  Glazier  remarked:  '  Our  victories  on  the  ocean  dur- 
ing the  war  of  the  Revolution  were  not  less  decisive  and  glorious 
than  those  achieved  on  land.  John  Paul  Jones  and  the  gallant 
tars  who,  under  his  leadership,  braved  the  dangers  of  the  deep, 
and  wrested  from  proud  Britain,  once  queen  of  the  sea,  that  illus- 
trious motto  which  may  be  seen  high  on  our  banner  beside  the 
stars  and  stripes.' 

"  Captain  Glazier  made  special  mention  of  the  naval  engagement 
between  the  Bon  Homme  Richard  and  the  British  man-of-war 
Serapis,  which  took  place  in  September,  1789.  He  described  in 
glowing  words  the  fierce  nature  of  that  memorable  contest,  until 
the  captain  of  the  Serapis,  with  his  own  hand,  struck  the  flag  of 
England  to  the  free  Stars  and  Stripes  of  young  America.  Captain 
Glazier  has  elements  in  him  which,  carefully  matured  and  nur- 
tured, will  make  him  successful  on  the  platform,  as  he  has  already 
proved  himself  in  the  field  of  literature.  He  has  a  strong  and 
melodious  voice,  a  gentlemanly  address,  and  unassuming  confi- 
dence. He  was  presented  to  the  audience  by  Commandant  Kelly, 
of  Post  15,  Grand  Array  of  the  Republic,  in  a  brief  but  eloquent 
speech.  Captain  Glazier  will  start  on  his  long  ride  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, from  the  Revere  House,  this  morning,  at  9.30,  and  will  be 
accompanied  to  Bunker  Hill  and  thence  to  Brighton,  by  several 
distinguished  members  of  the  'Grand  Army,'  and  other  gentlemen, 
who  wish  the  captain  success  on  his  long  journey." 

The  lecture  proved  a  success  financially,  and  in  ful- 


LECTURE  AT  TREMONT  TEMPLE.  73 

filment  of  my  purpose  I  donated  the  entire  proceeds  to 
the  Relief  Fund  of  Posts  7  and  15,  as  I  was  largely 
indebted  to  the  comrades  of  these  organizations  for 
the  hearty  co-operation  which  insured  a  full  house 
at  Tremont  Temple.  The  letter  below  was  addressed 
to  the  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of  the  Department. 

REVERE  HOUSE, 
Boston,  Massachusetts, 

May  9,  1876. 
CAPTAIN  CHARLES  W.  THOMPSON, 

A.  A.  G.  DEPARTMENT  OF  MASS.,  G.  A.  R. 
COMRADE  :  I  find  pleasure  in  handing  you  the  net  proceeds  of 
my  lecture,  delivered  at  Tremont  Temple  last  night,  which  I  de- 
sire to  be  divided  equally  between  Posts  7  and  15,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
Boston,  for  the  benefit  of  our  disabled  comrades,  and  the  needy  and 
destitute  wards  of  the  "  Grand  Army."    Gratefully  acknowledging 
many  favors  and  courtesies,  extended  to  me  in  your  patriotic  city, 
I  am  yours  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 

WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

My  letter  to  Captain  Thompson  elicited  responses 
from  the  Posts  to  which  donations  were  made,  and  the 
following  from  the  Adjutant  of  John  A.  Andrew, 
Post  15,  Is  introduced  to  show  their  appreciation  of  my 
efforts  in  behalf  of  their  Relief  Fund. 

HEADQUARTERS, 
POST  15,  DEPARTMENT  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  G.  A.  R., 

Boston,  May  12,  1876. 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER  : 

COMRADE  :  In  obedience  to  a  vote  of  this  Post,  I  am  pleased  to 
transmit  to  you  a  vote  of  thanks  for  the  money  generously  donated 
by  you.  through  our  Commander,  as  our  quota  of  the  proceeds  of 
your  lecture  in  this  city  ;  and  also  the  best  wishes  of  the  comrades 
of  this  Post  for  you  personally,  and  for  the  success  of  your  lecture 
tour  from  sea  to  sea. 

Yours  in  F.,  C.  and  L., 

EDWARD  F.  ROLLINS, 
Adjutant  of 


74  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

It  is  only  justice  to  the  comrades  of  Posts  7  and 
15  to  say  that  on  my  arrival  in  Boston  they  were 
most  cordial  in  their  reception,  most  zealous  in  their 
co-operation  with  my  advance  agents  and  most  solicit- 
ous for  the  success  of  my  journey  and  its  objects.  In 
short  they  were  true  comrades -in  the  best  sense  of  the 
term,  and  my  delightful  sojourn  in  their  patriotic  city 
was  largely  due  to  their  numerous  courtesies. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


BOSTON   TO  ALBANY. 


Jirst 


South  Framingham  Souse, 

SOUTH  FRAMINGHAM,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

May  9,  1876. 

HE  initial  step  in  my  journey  from 
Ocean  to  Ocean  was  taken  at  ten  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  above  date  when 
I  mounted  my  horse  in  front  of  the 
Revere  House,  Boston,  and  started  for 
Worcester,  where  it  had  been  announced 
I  would  lecture  on  the  following  even- 
ing. The"  Revere  House  was  fixed 
upon  by  comrades  of  the  G.  A.  R.  as 
a  rendezvous  before  starting.  Here  I  found  a  large 
gathering  of  the  Order.  A  rain  storm  setting  in  as  I 
put  my  foot  into  the  stirrup,  hasty  adieus  were  said 
to  the  Boys  in  Blue  and  others  as  I  was  about  riding 
away  from  the  "  Revere." 

I  was  escorted  to  Bunker  Hill  and  thence  to 
Brighton  by  many  comrades  and  friends,  among  them 
Colonels  John  F.  Finley  and  E.  A.  Williston,  who 
were  mounted  ;  and  Captain  Charles  W.  Thompson, 
adjutant-general  Department  of  Massachusetts;  Cap- 
5  (75) 


76  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

tain  Theodore  L.  Kelly,  commander  of  Post  15; 
Grafton  Fenno,  adjutant,  Post  7,  G.  A.  R.,  and  many 
others  in  carriages. 

Our  route  from  Boston  was  by  way  of  Charlestown 
and  Cambridge  to  Brighton.  A  short  halt  was  made 
at  Bunker  Hill.  After  a  hurried  look  at  the  Monu- 
ment we  rode  around  it  and  then  headed  for  Brighton. 
The  rain  was  now  falling  in  torrents  and  quick- 
ening our  pace  we  passed  rapidly  through  Cambridge, 
glancing  hastily  at  the  University  Buildings  as  we 
galloped  down  the  main  thoroughfare  of  the  city. 

Brighton  was  reached  between  twelve  and  one 
o'clock.  Owing  to  the  storm  our  short  journey  to  this 
place  was  anything  but  agreeable  and  when  we  dis- 
mounted at  the  Cattle  Fair  Hotel  all  who  were  not  in 
covered  conveyances  were  drenched  to  the  skin.  Here 
the  entire  party  had  dinner,  after  which  I  took  leave 
of  my  friendly  escort,  who  one  and  all  took  me  by  the 
hand  and  wished  me  Godspeed. 

Pushing  on  through  Newton  and  some  smaller 
towns  and  villages  I  pulled  up  in  front  of  the  South 
Framingham  House  a  few  minutes  after  five  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  My  clothing  was  thoroughly  soaked 
and  my  cavalry  boots  filled  to  overflowing.  Having 
secured  accommodations  for  the  night,  Paul  was  fed 
and  groomed  ;  clothing  and  equipments  hung  up  to 
dry  and  the  first  day  of  my  long  ride  from  sea  to  sea 
was  off  the  calendar. 


Bay  State  House, 
WORCESTER,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

May  Tenth. 


I  slept  soundly  at  the  South  Framingham  House 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  79 

and  was  up  and  out  to  the  hotel  stable  at  an  early 
hour  in  the  morning.  I  found  Paul  Revere,  my 
equine  companion,  in  good  spirits  and  fancied  that  the 
significant  look  he  gave  me  was  an  assurance  that  he 
would  be  ready  for  the  road  when  called  for. 

After  a  hearty  breakfast  and  a  few  questions  con- 
cerning the  beautiful  little  city  in  which  I  had  spent 
the  first  night  of  my  journey,  I  mounted  Paul  and 
rode  out  towards  the  Boston  and  Albany  Turnpike. 
Being  impressed  with  the  appearance  and  enterprise 
of  the  place,  while  passing  through  some  of  its  streets 
especial  inquiry  was  made  concerning  its  population, 
schools  and  industries.  I  learned  that  South  Fra- 
mingham  is  twenty-one  miles  from  Boston,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Boston  and  Albany  and  Old  Colony  Rail- 
ways. Its  population  at  that  time  was  about  10,000. 
Its  graded  schools  are  among  the  first  in  the  State. 
It  supports  several  banks  and  newspapers  and  is 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  woollens,  rubber  goods, 
boots  and- shoes,  harness  and  machinery. 

The  ride  from  South  Framingham  to  Worcester 
was  uneventful  if  I  except  the  pelting  rain  which 
from  drizzle  to  down-pour  followed  me  from  start  to 
finish.  Indeed,  it  really  seemed  as  though  the  first 
days  of  my  journey  were  to  be  baptismal  days  and 
I  regret  exceedingly  that  these  early  stages  of  the  trip 
were  not  more  propitious;  for,  had  the  weather  been 
less  disagreeable,  I  should  have  seen  Eastern  Massa- 
chusetts under  much  more  favorable  circumstances. 

The  city  limits  of  Worcester  were  reached  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  a  half  hour  later  I  was 
registered  at  the  Bay  State  House.  Many  relatives 
called  upon  me  here,  most  of  whom  were  residents  of 


80  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  city  and  vicinity.  Lectured  at  the  Opera  House 
in  the  evening,  being  introduced  to  my  audience  by 
Colonel  Finley  of  Charlestovvn,  to  whom  previous 
reference  has  been  made,  and  with  whom  I  had 
arranged  to  accompany  me  as  far  as  Syracuse,  New 
York,  and  further  if  my  advance  agents  should  think 
it  advisable  for  him  to  do  so. 

The  fact  that  both  my  father  and  mother  were  na- 
tives of  Worcester  County  and  that  most  of  our 
ancestors  for  several  generations  had  been  residents 
of  Worcester  and  vicinity  made  that  city  of  unusual 
interest  to  me,  and  I  trust  the  reader  will  be  in- 
dulgent if  I  allot  too  much  space  or  seem  too 
partial  in  my  description  of  this  early  landmark  in  my 
journey. 

Worcester,  nestling  among  the  hills  along  the 
Blackstone  River,  the  second  city  in  Massachusetts, 
the  heart  of  the  Commonwealth,  has  a  population  of 
about  85,000. 

Shut  in  by  its  wall  of  hills,  it  seemed,  as  I  first  came 
into  it,  something  like  a  little  miniature  world  in  itself. 
It  possesses  some  share  of  all  the  good  we  know. 
Nature,  that  "  comely  mother,"  has  laid  her  caressing 
hand  upon  it.  Art  has  made  many  a  beautiful  struc- 
ture to  adorn  its  streets.  Commerce  smiles  upon  it. 
While  its  wonderful  manufactures  seem  to  form  a 
a  great  living,  throbbing  heart  for  the  city. 

Sauntering  up  from  the  depot,  through  Front  street, 
five  minutes7  walk  brought  me  to  the  Old  Common. 
There  I  found,  what  one  so  frequently  finds  in 
Massachusetts  towns  and  cities — namely,  a  War  Mon- 
ument. Apparently  that  mighty  five  years' struggle, 
that  brilliant  victory,  bringing  freedom  to  two  million 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  83 

fellow-creatures,  bringing  power,  union,  glory  to  the 
nation,  has  burned  itself  into  the  very  heart  of 
Massachusetts ;  and  lest  posterity  might  forget  the 
lessons  she  learned  from  1861  to  1865,  everywhere 
she  has  planted  her  war  monuments,  to  remind  her 
children  that 

"  Simple  duty  has  no  place  for  fear." 

In  the  shade  of  Worcester  Common  is  another 
object  of  interest.  A  little  plot  of  ground,  wherein 
stands  a  grand  old  tomb.  It  is  the  resting-place  of 
Timothy  Bigelow,  the  early  patriot  of  Worcester. 
Here  in  the  sunshine  and  the  twilight,  in  the  bloom 
of  summer,  and  under  the  soft  falling  snows  of  winter, 
he  perpetually  manifests  to  the  world 

"  How  sleep  the  brave,  who  sink  to  rest 
By  all  their  country's  wishes  blest." 

A  sturdy  old  New  Englander  was  Colonel  Bigelow. 
"  Wheri^  the  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  tea  in 
Boston  'Harbor  reached  him,  he  was  at  work  in  his 
blacksmith  shop,  near  the  spot  now  called  Lincoln 
Square.  He  immediately  laid  aside  his  tools,  pro- 
ceeded directly  to  his  house,  opened  the  closet,  and 
took  from  it  a  canister  of  tea,  went  to  the  fire-place,  and 
poured  the  contents  into  the  flames.  As  if  feeling 
that  everything  which  had  come  in  contact  with 
British  legislative  tyranny  should  be  purified  by  fire, 
the  canister  followed  the  tea;  and  then  he  covered 
both  with  coals. 

"  Before  noon  on  the  nineteenth  of  April,  1775,  an 
express  came  to  town,  shouting,  as  he  passed  through 
the  street  at  full  speed,  '  To  arms !  to  arms ! — the  war's 


84     OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

begun/  His  white  horse,  bloody  with  spurring,  and 
dripping  with  sweat,  fell  exhausted  by  the  church. 
Another  was  instantly  procured,  and  the  tidings  went 
on.  The  bell  rang  out  the  alarm,  cannon  were  fired, 
and  messengers  were  sent  to  every  part  of  the  town  to 
collect  the  soldiery.  As  the  news  spread,  the  imple- 
ments of  husbandry  were  thrown  by  in  the  field ;  and 
the  citizens  left  their  homes,  with  no  longer  delay  than 
to  seize  their  arms.  In  a  short  time,  the  (  minute-men ' 
were  paraded  on  the  green,  under  Captain  Timothy 
Bigelow.  After  fervent  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Maccarty, 
they  took  up  their  line  of  march  to  the  scene  of  con- 
flict." Such  was  Bigelow's  zeal  and  ardor  in  the 
great  cause  of  the  times,  that  he  appeared  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  at  the  head  of  his  "  minute-men,"  in 
the  square  at  Watertown,  having  marched  them  there, 
a  distance  of  over  thirty  miles,  during  that  one  short 
night. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  April,  1861,  the  Bigelow  Monu- 
ment was  dedicated.  At  the  very  hour  of  the  conse- 
cration exercises,  the  Massachusetts  Sixth  Regiment 
was  engaged  in  its  memorable  struggle  and  triumphant 
passage  through  the  blockaded  streets  of  Baltimore  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War. 

Along  the  west  side  of  the  Old  Common  runs  Main 
street,  just  out  of  which,  in  Pearl  street,  is  the  Post 
Office.  I  have  seen  a  curious  computation  with  regard 
to  that  Post  Office  development,  which  aptly  illustrates 
the  rapid  growth  of  Worcester.  The  number  of 
letters  sent  out  in  1809  was  about  4,400.  The  number 
of  letters  taken  out  fifty  years  later  was  523,808. 
Main  street  reaches  Lincoln  Square,  where  stand  the 
two  court  houses.  The  old  one  has  been  removed  a 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  87 

few  feet,  and  refitted.  In  it  the  criminal  courts  are 
held ;  there  too  are  the  offices  of  the  court  of  probate 
and  insolvency. 

The  New  Court  House  was  built  in  1845  of  Quincy 
granite,  at  a  cost  of  about  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  In  it  the  civil  terms  of  the  courts  are  held, 
with  numerous  ante-rooms  for  the  jurors  and  for  con- 
sultation. The  lower  floor  is  occupied  by  the  office  of 
'the  register  of  deeds,  and  by  the  clerk's  and  treasurer's 
offices. 

Close  neighbor  to  the  court  houses  is  the  building 
containing  the  rooms  of  the  American  Antiquarian 
Society,  one  of  the  leading  learned  bodies  of  our 
country.  It  was  founded  in  1812.  It  possesses  a 
very  valuable  library,  especially  rich  on  subjects  of 
local  interest  to  Americans.  The  newspapers  filed  here 
include  over  four  thousand  volumes,  beginning  with 
the  Boston  News  Letter  of  1804,  and  closing  with  the 
great  journals  of  to-day.  This  same  society  also 
possesses  a  very  interesting  collection  of  pre-historic 
American  relics. 

In  Lincoln  Square  stands  the  old  Salisbury  man- 
sion, an  interesting  specimen  of  a  colonial  house, 
which  has  been  standing  a  century  or  so,  since  the 
time  when  those  substantial  buildings,  with  their  wide 
halls,  high  ceilings,  and  strong  walls,  were  built  on 
honor.  There  it  has  stood  in  its  dignity,  more 
flimsy,  more  showy  architecture  springing  up  around 
it,  until  now  the  fin  de  siecle  eye  discovers  that 
nothing  is  more  to  be  desired  than  one  of  these  same 
sturdy  old  colonial  houses. 

Main  street  contains  many  churches.  On  it  is  the 
large,  ugly-looking,  but  justly  celebrated,  Clark  Uni- 


88  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

versity,  which  is  devoted  to  scientific  research,  with  its 
wonderfully  equipped  chemical  laboratory. 

Any  one  who  wants  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Worcester 
and  its  environments,  can  easily  have  it  by  strolling 
out  Highland  street  to  Newton  Hill.  It  is  only  about 
a  mile  from  Lincoln  Park,  but  it  is  six  hundred  and 
seventy  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  from  it  "  the 
whole  world,  and  the  glory  thereof/'  seems  spread  out 
at  one's  feet. 

On  Salisbury  street,  one  mile  from  the  square, 
stands  the  house  in  which  George  Bancroft,  the  histo- 
rian, dear  to  American  hearts,  was  born. 

A  mile  and  a  half  from  the  square,  on  Salisbury 
Pond,  are  located  the  famous  Wire  Works  of  Wash- 
burn  and  Moen. 

There  are  many  buildings  to  interest  the  visitor  in 
Worcester.  The  State  Lunatic  Asylum,  with  its  one 
thousand  patients;  the  free  Public  Library  on  Elm 
street,  containing  eighty  thousand  volumes;  the  High 
School  on  Walnut  street;  the  Museum  of  the  National 
Historical ,  Society,  on  Foster  street ;  All  Saint's 
Church ;  the  Polytechnic  Institute ;  the  College  of 
the  Holy  Cross,  six  hundred  and  ninty  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  many  another  place  of  interest,  calling  on  the 
passers-by  to  look,  and  learn  of  the  world's  advance- 
ment. 

Standing  on  one  of  the  heights  overlooking  the 
little  river,  the  surrounding  hills,  the  busy  city,  throb- 
bing with  its  many  manufactories,  it  seemed  to  me  I 
had  before  my  eyes  an  object  lesson  of  the  wonderful 
resources,  the  vim,  the  power  of  making  "all  things 
work  together  for  good,"  which  I  take  to  be  the  vital 
characteristic  of  American  manhood. 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  39 

I  remembered  reading  that  in  1767  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  decide  whether  it  would  be  wise  to 
attempt  to  locate  a  village  on  the  present  site  of 
Worcester. 

They  reported  that  the  place  was  one  day's  journey 
from  Boston,  and  one  day's  journey  from  Springfield, 
that  the  place  was  well  watered  by  streams  and 
brooks,  and  that  in  eight  miles  square  there  was 
enough  meadow  to  warrant  the  settling  of  sixty 
families,  adding  these  words:  "We  recommend  that  a 
prudent  and  able  committee  be  appointed  to  lay  it  out, 
and  that  due  care  be  taken  by  said  committee  that  a 
good  minister  of  God's  Word  be  placed  there,  as  soon 
as  may  be,  that  such  people  as  be  there  planted  may 
not  live  like  lambs  in  a  large  place." 

That  was  only  a  little  more  than  a  century  ago. 
As  I  stood  overlooking  it  all,  "  thickly  dotted  with 
the  homes  of  the  husbandmen,  and  the  villages  of  the 
manufacturer,  traversed  by  canal  and  railway,  and 
supporting  a  dense  population/'  proving  so  strong  a 
contrast  between  the  past  generation's  humble  antici- 
pations, and  our  overflowing  prosperity,  I  asked 
myself  what  those  old  Puritans  would  have  thought 
of  our  railroads,  our  electric  cars,  our  modern  ma- 
chines, our  telephones ;  and  I  said,  with  a  spirit  of 
self-gratulation, 

"We  are  living,  we  are  dwelling, 
In  a  grand  and  awful  time ; 
In  an  age  on  ages  telling, 
To  be  living  is  sublime." 

There  is  little  doubt  that  future  generations  will 
look  back  upon  this  age  as  the  brightest  in  the  world's 
history. 


90  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Sfjtri  ani»  Jourtl)  JDags. 

Bates  House, 
SPRINGFIELD,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

May  Eleventh. 

Lowering  clouds  and  a  slight  fall  of  rairi  again  con- 
fronted me  as  I  mounted  Paul  at  seven  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  Third  Day  in  front  of  the  Bay  State 
House,  Worcester,  and  rode  out  to  the  Boston  and 
Albany  Turnpike.  The  prospect  of  meeting  my  wife 
and  daughter,  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  several  mouths, 
and  the  lecture  appointment  for  Springfield  made  this 
one  of  the  memorable  days  of  my  journey  for  speed 
and  endurance.  Fifty-four  miles  were  whirled  off .  in 
eight  hours  and  the  fact  established  that  Paul  could 
be  relied  upon  to  do  all  that  was  required  of  him. 

I  had  hardly  dismounted  in  front  of  the  Bates 
House  when  Mrs.  Glazier  and  Alice  came  running 
from  the  hotel  to  greet  me.  They  had  been  visiting 
in  Hartford  and  had  come  up  to  Springfield  early  in 
the  morning,  reaching  the  city  several  hours  before 
my  arrival.  This  visit  with  my  family  at  Springfield 
was  one  of  the  pleasant  episodes  of  my  journey  and 
long  to  be  remembered  in  connection  with  my  ride 
across  the  Bay  State. 

My  lecture  was  delivered  at  the  Haynes  Opera 
House,  whither  I  was  escorted  by  comrades  of  the 
G.  A.  R.  The  introduction  was  by  Captain  Smith, 
Commander  of  the  Springfield  Post,  who  spoke 
pleasantly  of  my  army  and  prison  experiences  and  of 
the  objects  of  my  lecture  tour. 

Hastening  back  to  the  Bates  House  after  the  lecture, 


V/l 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  93 

the  remainder  of  the  evening  was  spent  with  my  wife 
and  daughter  and  a  few  friends  who  had  called  for  a 
social  talk  and  to  tell  me  something  of  the  early 
history  of  Springfield  and  vicinity. 

As  the  lecture  appointment  for  Pittsfield  was  set  for 
the  fifteenth  I  readily  discovered  by  a  simple  calcula- 
tion that  I  could  easily  spend  another  day  with  Hattie 
and  Alice  and  still  reach  Pittsfield  early  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  fifteenth.  The  leisure  thus  found  was 
devoted  to  strolls  in  and  around  Springfield  and  a 
careful  study  of  the  city  and  its  environs. 

When  King  Charles  the  First  had  dissolved  his  third 
parliament,  thus  putting  his  head  on  the  bleeding  heart 
of  puritanism,  there  lived  in  Springfield,  England,  a 
warden  of  the  established  church.  "  He  was  thirty- 
nine  years  of  age,  of  gentle  birth,  acute,  restive,  and 
singularly  self-assertive.  He  had  seen  some  of  the 
stoutest  men  of  the  realm  break  into  tears  when  the 
King  had  cut  off  free  speech  in  the  Commons;  he  had 
seen  ritualism,  like  an  iron  collar,  clasped  upon  the 
neck  of  the  church,  while  a  young  jewelled  courtier, 
the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  dangled  the  reputation  of 
sober  England  at  his  waistcoat.  A  colonial  enter- 
prise, pushed  by  some  Lincolnshire  gentlemen,  had 
been  noised  abroad,  and  the  warden  joined  his  for- 
tunes with  them,  and  thus  became  one  of  the  original 
incorporators  mentioned  in  the  Royal  Charter  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Company  in  America.  This  was 
William  Pinchon."  After  reaching  this  country  he 
became  treasurer  of  the  colony,  and  a  member  of  the 
general  court.  He  formed  plans  for  a  coast  trade,  and 
for  a  trade  with  the  Indians. 

Such  was  the  man  of  mark,  who  in  1636,  with  a 


94          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

colony  of  friends,  made  a  settlement  on  the  fertile 
meadows  of  the  Indian  Agawam.  The  spot  was 
obtained  by  a  deed  signed  by  thirteen  Indians,  and 
Pinchon,  in  loving  remembrance  of  his  old  English 
home,  christened  the  new  settlement  Springfield, 
From  the  little  we  can  glean  of  them,  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  the  village  must  have  been  a  grim  old 
race. 

Hugh  Parsons,  and  Mary,  his  wife,  were  tried  for 
witchcraft. 

Goodwife  Hunter  was  gagged  and  made  to  stand  in 
the  stocks  for  "  Sundry  exhorbitance  of  ye  toung." 

Men  were  fined  for  not  attending  town  meeting  and 
voting. 

In  August,  1734,  the  Rev.  Robert  Breck  was  called 
to  the  church  in  Springfield. 

Shortly  before  that  he  had  used  the  following  *vords 
in  one  of  his  sermons  :  "  What  will  become  of  the 
heathen  who  never  heard  of  the  gospel,  I  do  not  pre- 
tend to  say,  but  I  cannot  but  indulge  a  hope  that  God, 
in  his  boundless  benevolence,  will  find  out  a  way 
whereby  those  heathen  who  act  up  to  the  light  they 
have  may  be  saved." 

The  news  of  this  alarming  hope  came  to  Spring- 
field, and  a  few  other  so-called  unorthodox  utter- 
ances were  attributed  to  him.  "  In  the  minds  of  the 
River  Gods  heterodoxy  was  his  crime.  For  this  the 
Rev.  gentleman  was  not  only  tried  by  a  council  of  the 
church,  but  a  sheriff  and  his  posse  appeared  and 
arrested  Mr.  Breck  in  his  Majesty's  name,  and  the 
prisoner  was  taken  first  to  the  town-house,  and  after- 
ward to  New  London  for  trial." 

The    early    Springfield    settlers    had   few   of    the 


BOSTON  TO   ALBANY.  97 

articles  which  we  consider  the  commonest  comforts  of 
life. 

Hon.  John  Worthington,  "One  of  the  Gods  of  the 
Connecticut  Valley,"  owned  the  first  umbrella  in 
Springfield.  He  never  profaned  the  article  by 
carrying  it  in  the  rain,  but  used  it  as  a  sun-shade 
only. 

In  1753  there  was  but  one  clock  in  Springfield.  It 
was  considered  a  great  curiosity,  and  people  used  to 
stop  to  hear  it  strike. 

As  early  as  about  1774  that  wonderful  innovation, 
a  cooking-stove,  made  its  appearance  in  Springfield. 
The  stove  was  made  in  Philadelphia,  and  weighed 
eight  or  nine  hundred  pounds. 

It  was  1810  when  David  Ames  brought  the  first 
piano  into  the  little  settlement. 

We  are  furnished  with  a  description  of  Springfield 
in  1789  by  the  journal  of  the  Great  Washington. 
Under  the  date  of  October  twenty-first  he  wrote, 
"There  is  a  great  equality  in  the  people  of  this 
State.  Few  or  no  opulent  men,  and  no  poor.  Great 
similitude  in  their  buildings,  the  general  fashion  of 
which  is  a  chimney — always  of  brick  or  stone — and  a 
door  in  the  middle,  with  a  staircase  fronting  the 
latter,  and  running  up  by  the  side  of  the  former ;  two 
flush  stories,  with  a  very  good  show  of  sash  and  glass 
windows ;  the  size  generally  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet 
in  length,  and  from  twenty  to  thirty  in  width,  ex- 
clusive of  a  back  shed,  which  seems  to  be  added  as  the 
family  increases." 

Much  later  in  our  national  history,  Springfield 
became  one  of  the  most  important  stations  of  the 
"  Underground  Railroad." 


98  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

In  a  back  room  on  Main  street  can  still  be  seen  a 
fireplace,  preserved  as  a  memento  of  stirring  days, 
when  many  a  negro  was  pushed  up  through  it,  to  be 
secreted  in  the  great  chimney  above. 

Springfield  has  had  many  noted  citizens.  The  his- 
torian Bancroft  lived  there  at  one  time;  so  did  John 
Brown,  of  Harper's  Ferry  fame. 

George  Ashman,  a  brilliant  member  of  the  local 
bar,  was  made  chairman  of  the  famous  Chicago  con- 
vention of  1860  which  nominated  Abraham  Lincoln 
for  President.  Mr.  Ashman  also  had  the  honor  to 
convey  the  formal  notice  of  the  nomination  to  Lincoln 
in  Springfield,  Illinois. 

Dr.  J.  G.  Holland  lived  in  Springfield,  where  all 
of  his  prose  works  first  made  their  appearance,  in  the 
columns  of  the  Springfield  Republican. 

No  spot  in  Springfield  is  more  interesting  to  those 
fortunate  enough  to  see  it  than  the  United  States 
Arsenal. 

Springfield  Armory  was  established  by  act  of  Con- 
gress, April,  1794,  its  site  having  been  accepted  by 
by  Washington  in  1789.  The  plant  consists  of  the 
Armory  and  Arsenal  on  the  hill,  and  the  water  shops, 
distant  about  two  miles,  on  Mill  River.  Main 
Arsenal  is  on  a  bluff  overlooking  the  city,  and  is  one 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  river.  It  is  a  partial 
copy  of  East  India  House  in  London.  From  its  tower 
there  is  a  wonderful  view  of  the  surrounding  country, 
and  one  which  was  greatly  admired  by  Charles  Dickens 
during  his  visit  to  America. 

The  Main  Arsenal  is  two  hundred  feet  by  seventy, 
and  is  three  stories  high,  each  floor  having  storage 
capacity  for  one  hundred  thousand  stand  of  arms. 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  1Q1 

Longfellow's  lines  have  made  this  a  classic  spot : 

"  This  is  the  Arsenal.     From  floor  to  ceiling, 

Like  a  huge  organ,  rise  the  burnished  arms  j 
But  from  the  silent  pipes  no  anthem  pealing 
Startles  the  villages  with  strange  alarms. 

" Oh!  what  a  sound  will  rise,  how  wild  and  dreary, 
When  the  death  angel  touches  those  swift  keys  \ 
What  loud  lament  and  dismal  miserere 
Will  mingle  with  those  awful  symphonies  I 

"Peace!  and  no  longer  from. its  brazen  portals 

The  blast  of  War's  great  organ  shakes  the  skies; 
But  beautiful  as  songs  of  the  immortals, 
The  holy  melodies  of  love  arise." 

Beside  the  Main  Arsenal,  two  other  buildings  arc 
used  for  the  storage  of  arms. 

In  1795  Uncle  Sam  made  his  first  musket.  That 
year  forty  or  fifty  men  were  employed,  and  245 
muskets  were  made.  Between  that  and  the  present 
time  over  2,000,000  weapons  have  been  turned  out. 
During  that  time  $32,500,000  have  been  expended. 
When  Sumter  was  fired  on  about  1,000  weapons  per 
month  were  being  made.  Three  months  later,  3,000 
were  made  each  month.  In  1864, 1,000  muskets  were 
completed  each  day,  and  3,400  men  were  employed, 
with  pay  roll  sometimes  amounting  to  $200,000  per 
month.  At  present  only  400  men  are  employed. 

From  Springfield  stock  have  come  eight  college 
presidents,  namely  of  Yale,  Harvard,  Columbia, 
Amherst,  Princeton,  Trinity,  Beloit,  and  Dickinson. 

Springfield  of  to-day  is  a  thriving  city  of  about 
50,000,  and  is  the  county  seat  of  Hampden  County. 
Some  one,  I  think,  has  called  it  the  "city  of  homes." 
Its  streets  are  broad,  and  well  shaded  by  elms  and 


102         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

maples ;  many  of  its  residences  are  detached,  and  as 
a  whole  it  bears  the  stamp  of  taste  and  refinement. 

Springfield  is  within  easy  reach  of  many  points  of 
interest.  It  is  ninety-eight  miles  from  Boston,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  New  York,  and 
twenty-six  miles  from  Hartford. 

The  growth  of  the  Springfield  Street  Railroad 
Company  has  been  phenomenal.  In  1869  this  com- 
pany started  out  with  only  $50,000  capital  stock.  Its 
length  was  only  about  two  miles.  It  had  only  four 
cars  and  twenty-five  horses.  Three  years  ago  horses 
were  displaced  by  electricity.  Now,  in  the  busy  season, 
the  daily  mileage  of  transit  on  the  thirty-five  miles  of 
track  is  equal  to  the  distance  from  Springfield  to  San 
Francisco  and  half-way  back.  During  the  fiscal  year 
closing  October  first,  1892,  7,500,000  fares  were  taken. 

The  stores  of  Springfield  are  remarkably  large  and 
tasteful.  Haynes  &  Company  have  the  largest  clothing 
house  in  Massachusetts,  out  of  Boston. 

In  1875  Meakins  &  Packard  started  in  business 
with  only  one  boy  to  help  them.  Now  their  building 
is  one  hundred  feet  square,  and  seven  stories  high, 
while  they  now  have  over  one  hundred  employees. 

Springfield  has  three  great  manufactories,  Smith 
&  Wesson  Pistol  Works;  R.  F.  Hawkins  Iron 
Works;  and  the  Wesson  Car  Manufactory.  Smith  & 
Wesson  employ  about  500  men,  with  an  annual  output 
of  80,000  weapons.  They  ship  goods  to  Russia  and 
other  countries.  The  Wesson  Car  Company  in  1860 
sent  $300,000  worth  of  goods  to  the  Egyptian  govern- 
ment. They  have  also  done  considerable  work  for 
South  America.  They  have  done  $150,000  worth  for 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  105 

the  New  Jersey  Central  Railroad,  and  $1,700,000 
worth  for  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 

The  City  Library  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $100,000, 
and  contains  80,000  books.  Adjoining  the  library  is 
the  beautiful  new  art  building,  containing  a  rare  and 
costly  collection  of  curiosities. 

The  City  Hall  is  a  building  in  the  Romanesque  style. 
It  contains  a  public  hall  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
2,700. 

The  Court  House  is  an  imposing  structure,  is  built 
of  granite,  and  cost  $200,000. 

The  city  has  many  a  lovely  spot  in  which  to 
recreate.  Imagine  four  hundred  acres,  woodland  al- 
teinating  with  highly  cultivated  lawns,  and  stretches 
of  blooming  plants.  Imagine  in  the  midst  of  this  a 
deei)  ravine,  with  a  brawling  little  brook  through  it. 
Imagine  five  lakelets  covered  by  Egyptian  lotus,  and 
the  different  varieties  of  water-lilies.  Through  all 
this  loveliness,  think  of  seven  miles  of  charming 
drives,  winding  in  and  out  like  a  ribbon,  and  you 
have  in  your  mind  a  picture  of  Springfield's  darling, 
Forert  Park. 


Jiffy 


Russell  House, 

RUSSELL,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

May  Thirteenth. 


My  wife  and  daughter  were  not  easily  reconciled 
to  my  ieavetaking  of  Springfield,  but  yielding  to  the 
inevitable,  adieus  were  quickly  said,  Paul  was  mounted 
and  I  r  xle  slowly  away  from  the  Bates  House,  turn- 
ing occasionally  in  the  saddle  until  entirely  out  of 

sight  of  my  loved  ones,  then  putting  spurs  to  my  horse 
6 


106         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK 

galloped  out  to  the  turnpike  and  headed  for  Russell, 
the  evening  objective. 

Considerable  rain  fell  during  the  day  and  the  roads 
at  this  time  through  Western  Massachusetts  were  in 
a  wretched  condition.  With  clothing  thoroughly 
soaked  and  mud  anywhere  from  ankle  to  knee  deep, 
the  trip  from  Springfield  to  Russell  was  anything  but 
what  I  had  pictured  when  planning  my  overland  tour 
in  the  saddle.  Some  consolation  was  found,  however, 
in  recalling  similar  experiences  in  the  army  and  I 
resolved  to  allow  nothing  to  depress  or  turn  me  from 
my  original  purpose.  A  halt  was  made  for  dinner 
during  this  day's  ride,  at  a  country  inn  or  tavern  ten 
miles  west  of  Springfield. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  I  did  not  leave 
Springfield  until  nearly  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  that  I  was  out  of  the  saddle  over  an  hour  on 
account  of  dinner,  and  compelled  to  face  a  pelting 
storm  throughout  the  day,  I  did  well  to  advance 
eighteen  miles  by  four  o'clock,  the  time  of  dismount- 
ing at  the  Russell  House. 

Russell  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  numerous 
villages  of  Hampden  County,  and  is  picturesquely 
situated  among  the  Berkshire  Hills  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State.  It  stands  on  the  banks  of  the 
Westfield  River,  upon  which  it  relies  for  water-power 
in  the  manufacture  of  paper,  its  only  industry.  It 
has  direct  communication  with  Eastern  and  Western 
Massachusetts  through  the  Boston  and  Albany  Rail- 
way, and  while  it  is  not  likely  that  it  will  ever  come  to 
anything  pretentious,  it  will  always  be,  in  appearance 
at  least,  a  rugged  and  romantic-looking  little  village. 


sill 


I 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  109 


Becket  House, 

BECKET,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

May  Fourteenth. 

Mounted  Paul  in  front  of  the  hotel  at  Russell  at 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  ride  towards  Chester, 
along  the  bank  of  the  Westfield  River.  This  swift 
branch  of  the  Connecticut  runs  along  between  its 
green  banks  fertilizing  the  meadows  and  turning  the 
factory  wheels  that  here  and  there  dip  down  into  its 
busy  current.  The  Indian  name  "  Agawam,"  by  which 
it  is  known  nearer  its  mouth,  seems  more  appropriate 
for  the  wild  little  stream,  and  often,  while  I  was  follow- 
ing its  course,  I  thought  of  the  banished  Red  Men 
who  had  given  it  this  musical  name  and  who  had  once 
built  their  wigwams  along  its  shores. 

On  this  morning  the  air  was  fresh  and  the  view 
pleasing  under  the  magical  influence  of  spring,  and 
both  were  none  the  less  enjoyed  by  the  assurance 
that  dinner  could  be  had  at  our  next  stopping-place. 
Upon  dismounting,  I  found  that  the  ride  could  not 
have  been  as  agreeable  to  Paul  as  to  his  master,  for 
his  back  was  in  a  very  sore  condition.  Everything 
was  done  for  his  comfort;  cold  water  and  castile  soap 
being  applied  to  relieve  the  injured  parts,  and  the 
cumbersome  saddle-cloth  which  had  been  doing  duty 
since  we  left  Boston  was  discarded  for  a  simple  blanket 
such  as  I  had  used  while  in  the  cavalry  service.  This 
was  a  change  for  the  better  and  was  made  at  the  right 
time,  for,  as  I  afterwards  had  some  difficulty  in  keep- 
ing the  direct  road,  the  equipment  of  my  horse  re- 
lieved what  might  have  proved  a  fatiguing  day's  ride 


110         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

As  it  was,  the  novel  experience  of  being  lost  had  its 
advantages,  for  a  wanderer  in  the  Berkshire  Hills 
finds  much  to  suit  the  fancy  and  to  please  the  eye.  At 
six  o'clock,  notwithstanding  the  delay,  we  came  into 
Becket,  where  Edwin  Lee,  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel 
of  the  place,  told  me  I  was  the  only  guest. 

Becket  is  an  enterprising  little  village,  thirty-seven 
miles  northwest  of  Springfield,  having  a  graded 
school  and  several  manufactories.  The  scenery  through- 
out the  region  is  rugged  and  attractive  •  a  charming 
characteristic  of  the  Bay  State. 

Slat). 

Berkshire  House, 

PITTSFIKLD,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

May  Fifteenth. 

Rode  away  from  Becket  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  on  the  way  found  it  necessary  to  favor 
Paul  in  this  day's  ride;  so  I  dismounted  and  walked 
several  miles.  This  was  not  a  disagreeable  task,  for 
my  journey  lay  over  the  picturesque  Hoosac  Mountains 
whose  wooded  sides  and  fertile  valleys  were  almost  a 
fairyland  of  loveliness  at  this  season.  Owing  to  this 
delay,  Pittsfield  was  not  reached  until  one  o'clock. 
Here  I  delivered  my  fourth  lecture  at  the  Academy 
of  Music,  Captain  Brewster,  commander  of  the  Pitts- 
field  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  introducing  me. 

ffigljtl)  JDufl 

Berkshire  House, 

PITTSFJELD,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

May  Sixteenth. 

Spent  the  morning  at  the  "  Berkshire,"  posting  my 
journal  and  attending  to  private  and  business  corre- 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  H3 

spondence.  The  afternoon  was  passed  in  a  stroll 
through  the  town,  where  I  saw  much  that  was  of  inter- 
est and  gathered  some  information  concerning  its  early 
history,  progress  and  present  condition. 

Of  the  fourteen  counties  of  Massachusetts,  the  most 
strongly  marked  and  highly  favored  .is  Berkshire,  with 
its  four  cardinal  boundaries,  formed  by  four  different 
states.  To  one  who  sees,  for  the  first  time,  the  lux- 
uriance of  its  vegetation,  the  beauty  of  its  forest-cov- 
ered hills,  the  broad  shady  avenues  of  its  villages, 
with  their  palatial  homes,  it  seems  as  if  Nature  and 
wealth  had  combined  to  make  this  spot  a  veritable 
"  Garden  of  the  Gods." 

In  the  exact  centre  of  all  this  loveliness,  more  than 
1,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  lies  the  little 
city  of  Pittsfield,  containing  about  16,000  inhabitants. 
Its  principal  streets  form  a  cross,  North,  South,  East, 
and  West  streets  meeting  at  an  elliptical  grove  of 
stately  elms  forming  a  small  park.  Here  in  old  days 
stood  one  central  tree,  its  height  one  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  feet,  its  bare  shaft  ninety  feet,  with  many 
a  memory  of  the  French  and  Indian  wars  attached  to 
it.  In  1841,  it  was  struck  by  lightning.  In  1861 
it  was  cut  down,  even  stern  men  weeping  at  its  fall. 
It  was  replaced  by  a  fountain,  whose  stream  may  be 
raised  to  the  height  of  the  old  tree.  This  park  also 
holds  a  huge  shaft  of  granite,  upon  which  stands  the 
bronze  figure  of  a  soldier,  flag  in  hand.  On  the 
granite  are  cut  the  words,  "  For  the  dead  a  tribute,  for 
the  living  a  memory,  for  posterity  an  emblem  of  devo- 
tion to  their  country's  flag."  To  the  west  of  the  park 
is  Pittsfield's  large  brownstone  Post  Office,  it  being 
the  first  building  on  North  street,  a  small  business 


114         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK:. 

thoroughfare,  whose  stores,  with  their  dainty  wares  and 
tasteful  fabrics,  would  do  credit  to  many  a  large  city. 

On  the  south  of  the  park  stands  the  Athenaeum,  a 
building  of  rough  stone,  erected  at  the  cost  of  $100,000 
as  a  "tribute  to  art,  science,  and  literature,"  and  pre- 
sented to  his  fellow-townspeople  by  Thomas  Allen. 
It  contains  a  large  free  library,  an  art  gallery,  and  a 
very  entertaining  museum  of  curiosities.  Next  door  to 
th«  Athenseum  is  the  large  white  Court  House,  said  to 
have  cost  $400,000.  Across  from  the  Court  House,  in 
a  little  corner  of  the  park,  is  a  tiny  music  house,  gay 
with  colored  electric  lights,  where  open  air  evening 
concerts  are  given  all  through  the  summer. 

On  the  north  of  the  park  stand  two  of  the  hand- 
somest of  Pittsfield's  eleven  churches. 

The  city's  manufactories  are  large  and  thrifty,  but 
they,  and  the  operatives  who  manipulate  them,  are 
tucked  away  in  a  corner,  so  to  speak,  where  they  may 
not  offend  the  eyes  of  the  opulent  inhabitants.  Only 
in  the  riotous  jostle  of  Saturday  night  in  the  store  is 
one  brought  face  to  face  with  the  fact  that  beauty, 
leisure  and  wealth  do  not  hold  a  monopoly  of  the 
sweet  Berkshire  air.  For  everything  appears  so 
lovely.  The  streets  are  very  wide,  great  stately 
avenues,  where  beautiful  strips  of  the  finest  lawn  bor- 
der each  edge  of  the  sidewalk.  Society  is  the  choicest, 
for  the  summer  residences  of  New  York's  four  hun- 
dred intermingle  with  the  magnificent  old  mansions 
owned  by  the  staunchest  of  Massachusetts'  old  blue- 
blooded  sons  and  daughters.  Cropping  out  through 
the  elegance  of  this  little  city  are  some  queer  old 
Yankee  traits.  Lawlessness  there  is  none.  No  police- 
men guard  the  park,  with  its  ideal  lawns,  but  a  polite 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  11? 

notice  informs  passers-by  that  this  being  no  thorough- 
fare, trespassing  will  not  be  tolerated,  and  there  is 
none.  When  the  concerts  are  in  full  blast,  people 
gather  in  the  walks  and  drives  only.  Whole  rows  of 
little  street  Arabs  may  be  seen  on  these  occasions, 
drawn  up  with  their  little  bare  toes  touching  the  very 
edge  of  the  precious  grass.  The  open  music  house  is 
always  left  full  of  chairs,  which  no  one  steals,  nay, 
which  no  one  uses.  The  entrance  to  the  Court  House  is 
filled  with  blooming  plants.  No  child,  no  dog  even, 
is  ill-bred  enough  to  break  one. 

Bnt  the  peculiarities  of  the  people,  the  beauty  of 
the  dwellings,  the  magnificence  of  the  equipages,  the 
tide  of  fashionable  life  which  pours  in,  summer  and 
fall,  all,  ALL  is  forgotten  as,  from  some  point  of  van- 
tage, the  spectator  takes  in  the  beauty  surrounding 
him.  "  On  the  west  sweep  the  Taconics,  in  that 
majestic  curve,  whose  grace  travelers,  familiar  with  the 
mountain  scenery  of  both  hemispheres,  pronounce  un- 
equaled.  On  the  east  the  Hoosacs  stretch  their  un- 
broken battlements,  with  white  villages  at  their  feet, 
and,  if  the  sunlight  favors,  paths  of  mingled  lawn  and 
wood,  enticing  to  their  summits;  while  from  the 
south,  'Greylock,  cloud-girdled  on  his  purple  throne" 
looks  grandly  across  the  valley  to  the  giant  heights, 
keeping  watch  and  ward  over  the  pass  where  the 
mountains  throw  wide  their  everlasting  gates,  to  let 
the  winding  Housatonic  flow  peacefully  toward  the 
sea." 

Thus,  in  taking  leave  of  Massachusetts,  I  looked 
back  to  the  starting-point,  and  thought  with  pleasure 
of  the  many  beautiful  links  in  the  chain  connecting 
Boston  with  Pittsfiekl,  none  more  beautiful  than  the 
last. 


118         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

•Nmtl)  JDag. 

Nassau  House, 

NASSAU,  NEW  YORK, 

May  Seventeenth. 

Ordered  my  horse  at  ten  in  the  morning,  and  before 
riding  on  stopped  at  the  office  of  the  Berkshire 
Eagle  to  talk  a  few  minutes  with  the  editor.  The 
route  from  Pittsfield  lay  over  the  Boston  and  Albany 
Turnpike,  one  of  the  villages  on  the  way  being  West 
Lebanon.  Here  we  had  dinner.  While  quietly  pur- 
suing my  journey  afterwards,  in  crossing  the  Pittsfield 
Mountain,  I  overtook  Egbert  Jolls,  a  farmer,  with 
whom  I  had  a  long  and  interesting  conversation.  He 
amused  me  with  stories  of  the  Lebanon  Shakers,  among 
whom  he  had  lived  many  years,  and  whose  peculiar 
belief  and  customs  have  always  set  them  widely  apart 
from  other  sects.  Perhaps  the  most  singular  point  in 
their  doctrine  is  that  God  is  dual,  combining  in  the  One 
Person  the  eternal  Father  and  Mother  of  all  generated 
nature.  They  believe  that  the  revelation  of  God  is 
progressive,  and  in  its  last  aspect  the  manifestation  was 
God  revealed  in  the  character  of  Mother,  as  an  evidence 
of  Divine  affection.  Ann  Lee,  the  daughter  of  a  Man- 
chester blacksmith,  is  the  founder  of  the  sect,  and 
considered  from  her  holy  life  to  be  the  human  repre- 
sentation of  this  Divine  duality.  This  is  a  strange 
belief,  and  one  that  is  not  generally  known,  but  its 
adherents  have  among  other  good  traits  one  which 
commends  them  to  the  respect  of  those  who  know  any- 
thing of  them,  and  that  is  their  sober  and  industrious 
habits. 

Soon  after  crossing  the  State  line  between  Massachu- 


BOSTON  TO  ALBANY.  119 

setts  and  New  York,  we  passed  the  home  of  Governor 
Samuel  J.  Tilden.  Two  years  before,  this  popular 
Democrat  was  elected  governor,  by  a  plurality  of  50,000 
votes  above  his  fellow-candidate,  John  A.  Dix.  He 
won  popular  attention  by  his  strong  opposition  to 
certain  political  abuses ;  notably  the  Tweed  Charter 
of  1870;  and  by  incessant  activity  he  was,  in  1876, 
beginning  to  reap  the  laurels  of  a  career  which  began 
while  he  was  a  student  at  Yale. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

FOUR    DAYS  AT   ALBANY, 

CARTED  from  Nassau  at  eleven  o'clock, 
still  following  the  Boston  and  Albany 
Turnpike,  and  soon  reached  the  Old 
Barringer  Homestead.  It  was  with 
this  family  that  I  spent  my  first  night 
in  Rensselaer  County  sixteen  years  be- 
fore, when  a  lad  of  seventeen,  I  was 
looking  for  a  school  commissioner  and 
a  school  to  teach.  Brock  way's  was 
another  well-known  landmark  which  I  could  not 
pass  without  stopping,  for  it  was  here  that  I  boarded 
the  first  week  after  opening  my  school  at  Schodack 
Centre  in  the  autumn  of  1859.  At  the  school,  too, 
I  dismounted,  and  found  that  the  teacher  was  one  of 
my  old  scholars.  The  Lewis  family,  at  the  hotel  just 
beyond,  were  waiting  my  approach  with  wide-open 
door;  for  Oscar  Lewis  had  gone  to  Albany  and  had 
said  before  he  left :  "  Keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  Captain 
Glazier,  as  he  will  surely  pass  this  way."  It  was  very 
pleasant  to  be  met  so  cordially,  although  the  sight  of 
well-known  faces  and  landmarks  brought  back  the  past 
and  made  me  feel  like  another  Rip  Van  Winkle. 
In  crossing  the  river  between  Greenbush  and  Albany, 
(120) 


FOU&  DATS  AT  ALBANY.  123 

Paul  seemed  disinclined  to  stay  on  board,  so  the  bars 
had  to  be  put  up  and  every  precaution  taken.  It  may 
have  been  that  the  shades  of  the  ferrymen  who  had 
run  the  little  craft  for  the  last  two  hundred  years  came 
back  to  vex  us.  Perhaps  the  particular  ghost  of  Hen- 
drick  Albertsen,  who,  two  hundred  and  eight  years 
ago  bargained  with  Killian  Van  Rensselaer  for  the 
privilege  of  running  his  boat;  but  whatever  the  cause 
of  the  disturbance  we  reached  terra  firma  without  acci- 
dent, and  were  soon  in  the  familiar  streets  of  the  old 
Dutch  town  ;  the  day's  journey  agreeably  ended  with 
our  trip  across  the  Hudson  by  the  oldest  ferry  in  the 
United  States. 

From  the  river  the  view  of  Albany  is  picturesque 
in  the  extreme,  where  the  eye  catches  the  first  glimpse 
of  the  city,  rising  from  the  water's  edge,  and  surmounted 
then  by  its  brown-domed  Capitol.  It  was  a  sight  that 
had  always  had  a  singular  charm  for  me,  for  many  of 
the  pleasantest  hours  of  my  early  life  were  spent  here, 
where  my  sisters  and  I  were  educated.  Here  I  left 
school  to  enlist  at  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  and 
here  I  published  my  first  book,  "Capture,  Prison-Pen 
and  Escape."  But  even  if  the  city  had  no  claim  other 
than  its  own  peculiar  attractiveness  it  would  hold  an 
enviable  place  among  its  sister  cities.  The  irregularity 
of  its  older  streets,  the  tone  of  its  architecture,  the  lack 
of  the  usual  push  and  bustle  of  an  American  town, 
give  it  an  old-world  air  that  makes  it  interesting. 
There  is  a  Common  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  shaded 
by  old  elms,  and  around  this  stand  the  public  buildings 
— the  State  Hall  for  state  offices  and  the  City  Hall  for 
city  offices — both  of  marble  and  fronting  on  the 
Common.  The  Albany  Academy,  where  Joseph 


124    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Henry,  one  of  its  professors  from  1826  to  1832,  first 
demonstrated  his  theory  of  the  magnetic  telegraph. 
A  few  squares  west  of  the  Common  was  the  stretch  of 
green  that  has  since  been  set  apart  for  a  public  park, 
where  the  good  people  of  Albany  may  find  an  agree- 
able change  of  scene  and  an  hour's  pleasant  recreation. 
The  New  Capitol,  on  the  site  of  the  Old  Capitol,  is 
a  magnificent  edifice  in  the  renaissance  style,  built  of 
New  England  granite,  at  a  cost  to  the  State  of  many 
millions.  On  passing  quaint  bits  of  architecture  or  the 
suggestive  aspect  of  some  out-of-the  way  corner,  one 
turns  naturally  to  the  days  of  wigs  and  kneebreeches, 
before  the  capital  of  the  Empire  State  was  thought  of, 
and  when  the  forests  of  fair  Columbia  were  overrun  by 
the  bronzed  warriors  who  still  held  undisputed  sway. 
It  was  back  in  these  days  that  Henry  Hudson,  sent  from 
Holland  by  the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  in  sailing 
up  the  "Grande"  River  in  search  of  a  passage  to  In- 
dia and  China,  found  that  he  could  not  send  his  ship 
beyond  the  point  where  the  city  of  Hudson  now  stands. 
This  was  discouraging,  but  sure  that  the  desired  passage 
was  found,  he  and  a  few  of  his  men  pushed  farther  on 
in  a  small  craft,  landing,  it  is  believed,  on  the  present 
site  of  Albany.  Later,  Hudson  and  his  men  returned, 
assured  that  the  noble  river  could  not  take  them  where 
they  had  hoped  it  might.  After  them  came  Dutch 
traders,  led  by  an  enterprising  Hollander  who  had  been 
with  Hudson  on  his  first  voyage,  and  who  saw  a  prom- 
ising field  in  the  red  man's  country.  They  established 
a  trading-post  where  the  "Half  Moon"  had  been 
moored  before,  and  from  here  carried  on  their  barter 
with  the  Indians,  exchanging  attractive  trifles  for  furs. 
Other  traders  followed  these,  and  then  came  the  colo- 


STATE  STREET  AND  CAPITOL,  ALBANY,  NEW  YOBS. 


. 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  ALBANY.  127 

nists;  a  brave  little  band  full  of  hope  and  eager  to  try 
their  fortune  in  the  New  World.  Their  leader  was  none 
other  than  Killian  Van  Rensselaer,  the  wealthy  pearl 
merchant  of  Amsterdam,  and  one  of  the  directors  of 
the  West  India  Company,  who  had  received  a  grant 
from  the  Prince  of  Orange  for  a  large  tract  of  land 
about  the  Upper  Hudson,  including  the  present  site  of 
Albany.  Here  he  established  hi&  "  patroonship,"  guard- 
ing the  affairs  of  the  colony,  and  providing  his  tenants 
with  comfortable  houses  and  ample  barns.  And  more 
than  this,  their  spiritual  welfare  was  promoted  through 
the  services  of  the  Reverend  Doctor  Joanes  Mega- 
polensis.  From  his  personal  accounts  we  read  that  the 
good  Dominie  found  his  life  among  the  '  wilden  J  as  full 
of  peril  and  unceasing  labor  as  that  of  his  flock;  for  he 
indertook  not  only  the  guidance  of  his  own  people,  but 
the  enlightenment  and  conversion  of  the  Indians.  To 
this  end  he  threw  himself  into  the  task  of  mastering 
their  language  with  true  missionary  zeal ;  a  task  which 
in  those tlays  meant  not  only  difficulty  but  danger. 

Under  the  shelter  of  the  handsome  churches  that 
grace  the  streets  of  the  Albany  of  to-day,  we  see  a 
striking  contrast  in  the  primitive  house  where  this 
pioneer  clergyman  preached ;  and  from  the  security 
of  long-established  peace,  we  look  back  upon  those 
sturdy  people  of  Rensselaerwyck  who  sowed  and  reaped 
and  went  to  church  under  the  protection  of  the  Pa- 
troon's  guns. 

But  there  came  a  day  when  English  ships  sailed  up 
to  the  harbor  at  Manhatoes,  and  demanded  the  sur- 
render of  the  Dutch  colonies  in  the  name  of  the 
Duke  of  York  and  Albany.  The  terrified  people  at 
sight  of  the  guns  refused  to  withstand  an  attack,  and 


128         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  English  quietly  came  into  possession.  Van  Rens- 
selaer  sent  down  his  papers,  and  Fort  Orange  surren- 
dered on  the  twenty-fourth  of  September,  1664,  soon 
after  receiving  its  new  name  in  honor  of  the  Duke's 
second  title.  Twenty-two  years  later,  Albany  had  the 
satisfaction  of  sending  two  of  her  representatives, 
Peter  Schuyler  and  Robert  Livingston,  to  New  York 
to  claim  her  charter  as  a  city  ;  which,  upon  their  return, 
was  received,  according  to  the  old  chronicler,  "  with  all 
ye  joy  and  acclamation  imaginable." 

Through  the  strength  of  their  new  dignity  and  in- 
fluence we  can  trace  the  spirit  of  independence  which 
was  beginning  to  rise  in  opposition  to  the  unjust  Eng- 
lish rule ;  and  it  was  here  in  1754  that  the  first  Gen- 
eral Congress  was  held  to  discuss  arrangements  for  the 
national  defence,  when  Franklin  and  his  compatriots 
"  signed  the  first  plan  for  American  Union  and  pro- 
claimed to  the  colonies  that  they  were  one  people,  fit  to 
govern  and  able  to  protect  themselves."  Later,  when 
the  storm  of  the  Revolution  broke,  this  place,  where 
the  first  threatenings  were  heard,  was  the  most  impov- 
erished by  the  contest  and  the  most  persevering  in  the 
fight;  but  she  came  out  triumphant,  with  a  record  well 
meriting  the  honors  received  in -1797,  when  she  was 
made  the  capital  of  the  Empire  State.  After  peace 
was  again  established  and  the  routine  of  business  taken 
up,  Albany  became  the  centre  of  the  entire  trade  of 
Western  New  York. 

Fulton's  steamboats  began  to  run  between  Albany 
and  New  York  as  early  as  1809,  and  this  commercial 
activity  and  contact  with  the  world  gave  an  impulse 
to  the  city  which  has  made  itself  felt  all  along  the 
Hudson.  Since  then  it  has  grown  rapidly,  and  has  in 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  ALBANY.  131 

its  steady  advancement  an  influential  future  to  which 
its  citizens  may  look  forward  with  pardonable  pride. 

My  arrival  in  Albany  and  lecture  at  Tweddle  Hall 
on  the  evening  of  the  eighteenth  were  to  me  among 
the  notable  events  of  my  journey.  Colonel  J.  M.  Fin- 
ley,  who  accompanied  me  from  Boston,  a  veteran  of  the 
late  war  and  manager  of  my  lecture  course  from  Boston 
to  Buffalo,  introduced  me. 

Called  at  the  Capitol  on  the  nineteenth  to  see 
the  adjutant-general  in  relation  to  my  lecturing  in  the 
interest  of  the  fund  for  the  erection  of  a  Soldiers' 
Home  which  at  that  time  interested  persons  had  pro- 
posed to  build  at  Bath,  New  York.  I  was  presented 
to  General  Townsend  by  Colonel  Taylor,  assistant  ad- 
jutant-general, whom  I  had  known  for  several  years. 
Found  that  General  Townsend  was  not,  as  I  had  been 
informed,  the  treasurer  of  the  fund.  Colonel  Taylor 
then  went  with  me  up  Washington  avenue  in  search 
of  Captain  John  Palmer,  Past  Department  Commander, 
G.  A.  R.j-whom  I  was  advised  to  consult  on  the  subject. 

These  matters  attended  to,  I  went  in  pursuit  of 
Captain  William  Blasie  and  Lieutenant  Arthur 
Richardson — acquaintances  of  many  years  and  both 
of  whom  had  been  the  companions  of  my  capitivity 
in  Southern  prisons  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

My  stay  in  Albany  was  prolonged  by  preparation  for 
lectures  at  Troy  and  Schenectady,  and  by  needed  in- 
formation concerning  the  early  history  and  development 
of  the  former  city.  The  second  Sunday  of  my  journey 
found  me  here  and  I  went  in  the  morning  to  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  the  corner  of  Hudson  and 
Grand  streets. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ALBANY  TO   SYRACUSE. 

Jburteentl)  JPag. 

Given's  Hotel, 

SCHENECTADY,  NEW  YORK> 
May  22,  1876, 

EFT  Albany  at  eleven  o'clock.  My 
journey  to  this  city  led  me  over  the 
Schenectady  Turnpike.  Was  compelled 
to  ride  between  showers  all  day  as  a 
rainstorm  had  set  in  just  as  I  was 
leaving  Albany.  Stopped  for  dinner 
at  Peter  Lansing's,  whose  farm  is  about 
midway  between  the  two  cities.  This 
genial  gentleman  of  old  Knickerbocker 
stock  greatly  amused  me  with  his  blunt  manner  and 
dry  jokes.  I  was  sorry  to  leave  the  shelter  of  his 
hospitable  roof,  especially  as  the  weather  was  exceed- 
ingly disagreeable,  but  my  engagement  to  lecture  in 
Schenectady  obliged  me  to  go  on.  I  found  it  necessary 
to  ride  the  last  three  miles  at  a  gallop  in  order  to  avoid 
an  approaching  shower.  Reached  my  hotel  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  lectured  in  the  evening 
at  Union  Hall  under  the  auspices  of  Post  14,  G.  A.  R. 
Several  representatives  of  the  city  press  were  with  me 
(132) 


ALBANY  TO  SYRACUSE.  135 

on  the  platform,  and  among  them  was  Colonel  8.  G. 
Hamlin,  a  fellow-prisoner  in  "  Libby  "  during  the  war, 
and  now  editor  of  the  Union.  In  the  morning  Colonel 
Finley  went  over  to  Troy  to  assist  Mr.  Farrington, 
my  advance  agent,  in  arranging  for  my  lecture  in  that 
city. 

Jiftewtl)  anii  Butontl)  JDajis. 

91  Centre  Street, 

SCHENECTADY,  NEW  YOBK, 

May  Twenty-third-Twenty-fourth. 

Accepting  an  invitation  to  spend  a  day  or  two  with 
friends,  I  went  to  91  Centre  street  after  my  lecture. 
While  here  I  was  occupied  chiefly  in  posting  my  jour- 
nal and  in  attending  to  business  and  private  correspond- 
ence.  A  telegram  from  Colonel  Finley  told  me  that 
he  had  fixed  upon  the  next  evening  for  my  lecture  at 
Harmony  Hall,  Troy.  Acting  upon  this  plan  I  went 
over  to  Troy  the  following  afternoon  by  way  of 
Albany.  Called  on  Captain  Palmer  in  the  latter  city. 
and  handed  him  the  proceeds  of  my  lecture  at 
Schenectady,  which  he  at  once  transmitted  to  the  fund 
in  aid  of  the  Soldiers'  Home.  While  in  Troy  I  met 
R.  H.  Ferguson,  Hon.  Martin  I.  Townsend,  the  Mc- 
Coys and  many  other  friends  and  acquaintances  of 
Auld  Lang  Syne.  I  may  add  that  this  was  the  only 
instance  in  my  journey  thus  far  in  which  I  had  devi- 
ated from  a  direct  line  of  march. 


91  Centre  Street, 

SCHENECTADY,  NEW  YORK, 

May  Twenty-fifth. 

Returned  to  Schenectady  by  way  of  Albany  after 

7 


136         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

my  lecture  at  Troy.  Was  very  busy  at  this  time  in 
organizing  for  my  lecture  campaign  between  Schenec- 
tady  and  Buffalo.  There  was  rather  a  surprising  an- 
nouncement in  the  afternoon's  Union  to  the  effect  that 
I  had  left  for  Little  Falls.  I  did  not  learn  from  what 
source  Comrade  Hamlin  of  that  paper  received  his  in- 
formation. Colonel  Fin  ley  went  on  to  Utica,  where 
he  was  joined  by  Mr.  Farrington. 

During  my  stay  here  I  became  interested  in  the  place 
and  found  that  Schenectady  was  as  rich  in  legends  and 
story  as  her  neighbors.  She  counts  her  birthday  among 
the  historic  dates  of  America,  having  begun  her  career  in 
1620,  when  the  Mohawks  were  still  holding  their  coun- 
cils of  war  and  spreading  the  terror  of  their  name.  Here 
in  their  very  haunts  a  band  of  courageous  Dutchmen  es- 
tablished a  trading-post  and  began  the  work  of  civiliza- 
tion. This  brave  colony  did  not  find  life  as  peaceful  as 
the  innocent  aspect  of  Nature  would  suggest,  however, 
for  in  the  winter  of  1690  the  French  and  Indians  began 
their  terrible  work,  burning  the  houses  and  massacre- 
ing  the  inhabitants.  It  was  only  through  a  baptism 
of  blood  that  the  small  trading-post  developed  into  a 
city.  Now  it  was  one  of  the  most  flourishing  and  im- 
portant towns  in  the  valley ;  and  the  transformation  was 
so  complete  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  realize  that 
this  was  the  scene  of  so  many  struggles.  The  Schenec- 
tady of  to-day  is  a  busy  manufacturing  town,  with  a 
prosperous  farming  district  about  it,  whose  cornfields 
and  orchards  attest  the  richness  of  the  soil.  It  is  the 
seat  of  Union  College,  a  well-known  institution  of 
rich  endowments  and  possessing  a  handsome  library 
of  15,000  volumes.  The  college  was  founded  in  1795 
by  a  union  of  several  religious  sects.  Its  buildings 


ALBANY  TO  SYRACUSE.  137 

are  plain  and  substantial,  their  stuccoed  walls  sugges- 
tive of  the  good  solid  work  that  is  accomplished  within 
them  from  year  to  year. 


©gljteent!)  Slag. 


Union  Hotel, 

FONDA,  NEW  YORK, 

May  Twenty-sixth. 


Moved  from  Schenectady  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Found  the  weather  delightful  and  the  scen- 
ery charming.  On  either  side  were  the  meadows  dotted 
with  spring  flowers  and  fertilized  by  the  river,  whose 
shore  line  of  willows  and  elms  was  bright  with  new 
green.  If  I  were  to  except  the  Berkshire  Hills,  I  saw 
nothing  in  Massachusetts  to  surpass,  or  even  equal,  the 
Valley  of  the  Mohawk.  It  surprised  me  that  poet  and 
novelist  had  apparently  found  so  little  here  for  legen- 
dary romance. 

Had  dinner  at  Amsterdam,  sixteen  miles  from 
Schenectady,  and  while  halted  here  had  Paul  shod 
for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Boston.  Resumed  my 
journey  at  four  o'clock  and  reached  Fonda  two  hours 
later.  Made  twenty-six  miles  during  the  day  and  was 
now  243  miles  from  the  "  Hub."  Through  the  cour- 
tesy of  Mr.  Fisher,  my  landlord  at  this  place,  I  was 
given  a  verbal  sketch  of  Fonda  which  made  a  pleas- 
ant addition  to  my  own  small  store  of  information. 
There  were  no  striking  characteristics  here  to  attract 
the  traveller's  eye  and  history  had  not  chronicled  its 
modest  advancement,  but  for  those  who  enjoy  the  sight 
of  peace  and  prosperity,  Fonda  has  a  charm  of  its  own. 
Around  it  on  all  sides  the  grain  fields  were  under  ex- 


138          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

cellent  cultivation,  with  here  and  there  a  well-stocked 
farm,  suggesting  an  agricultural  and  dairying  centre. 
I  found  a  good  night's  rest  here,  envied  the  people 
their  peaceful  existence,  and  rode  away  with  a  sense 
of  complete  refreshment. 

ffineteentl)  Stan. 

Briggs  House, 

SAINT  JOHNSVILLE,  NEW  YOBK, 
May  Twenty-seventh. 

Called  for  Paul  at  eight  o'clock,  and  after  halting  a 
moment  at  the  office  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  Democrat, 
crossed  the  river  to  Fultouville,  which  is  connected 
with  Saint  Johnsville  by  an  iron  bridge.  Passing 
through  this  town,  an  enterprising  one  for  its  size,  I 
continued  my  journey  along  the  south  bank  of  the 
Mohawk  until  I  reached  Canajoharie,  where  I  stopped 
at  the  Eldridge  House  for  dinner. 

Here  I  met  another  Socrates  who  had  a  "  favorite 
prescription"  for  healing  the  sore  on  Paul's  back. 
Spent  an  hour  very  pleasantly  in  the  office  of  the 
Mohawk  Valley  Register  at  Fort  Plain,  where  I  learned 
that  Charles  W.  Elliott  of  this  paper  is  a  son  of 
George  W.  Elliott,  author  of  "Bonnie  Eloise."  For 
many  years  this  song  was  a  great  favorite,  not  only 
along  the  Mohawk,  but  all  over  the  country,  and  is 
certainly  one  of  the  sweetest  ballads  of  America. 
There  is  a  swing  to  the  rythm  and  charm  in  the  lines 
which  keeps  it  in  memory,  and  in  riding  along 
through  the  scenes  it  describes,  my  thoughts  go  back 
to  the  old  days  in  Rensselaer  County,  where  as  a  boy 
I  first  heard  the  words. 


ALBANY  TO  SYRACUSE.  141 

"  O  sweet  is  the  vale  where  the  Mohawk  gently  glides, 

On  its  clear  winding  way  to  the  sea; 
And  dearer  than  all  storied  streams  on  earth  besides, 
Is  this  bright  rolling  river  to  me. 

But  sweeter,  dearer,  yes,  dearer  far  than  these, 

Who  charms  when  others  all  fail, 
Is  blue-eyed,  bonnie,  bonnie  Eloise, 

The  belle  of  the  Mohawk  vale. 

**O  sweet  are  the  scenes  of  my  boyhood's  sunny  years 

That  bespangle  the  gay  valley  o'er; 

And  dear  are  the  friends,  seen  through  memory's  fond  tears, 
That  have  lived  in  the  blest  days  of  yore. 

But  sweeter,  dearer,  yes,  dearer  far  than  these,  etc. 

*'O  sweet  are  the  moments  when  dreaming  I  roam 

Through  my  loved  haunts  now  mossy  and  gray  ; 
And  dearer  than  all  is  my  childhood's  hallowed  home 
That  is  crumbling  now  slowly  away. 

But  sweeter,  dearer,  yes,  dearer  far  than  these,  etc." 

Reached  this  place  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening 
and  will  go  on  to  Little  Falls  after  dinner  to-inorrow. 
In  the  morning  I  had  an  opportunity  to  look  about  me 
and  admire  the  unusually  fine  scenery  whose  romantic 
aspect  was  heightened  by  a  rugged  tip  of  the  Adiron- 
dacks  which  runs  down  into  the  valley  at  that  point. 
At  the  foot  of  the  mountain  lay  the  brisk  little  town 
of  Saint  Johnsville,  whose  manufacturing  interests 
have  given  it  a  reputation  for  miles  around. 


Girvan  House, 

LITTLE  FALLS,  NEW  YORK, 
May  Twenty-eighth. 

Rode  to  this  place  from  Saint  Johnsville  after  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  taking  the  north  bank  of  the 
river.  The  effect  of  the  scene  in  front  of  me  as  I 


142         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

traced  my  way  along  the  valley  was  most  striking. 
Nearer  the  town  my  eye  caught  the  picturesque  masses 
of  rock  lifting  their  rugged  sides  to  a  height  of  five 
hundred  feet,  the  swift  waters  of  the  Mohawk  rushing 
along  between  them.  The  homes  perched  all  along  on 
the  steep  hills  suggested  Swiss  scenes  and  Alpine 
journeys,  but  the  busy  hum  and  characteristic  Ameri- 
can push  soon  dissipated  these  fancies.  The  rapid  fall 
of  the  river  here  is  of  great  benefit  to  the  manufactur- 
ers who  are  making  good  use  of  their  excellent  water- 
power  in  the  paper  and  woollen  mills. 

Soon  after  my  arrival,  several  citizens  came  into  the 
hotel  to  learn  the  particulars  of  my  journey,  but  before 
I  had  time  to  register,  Postmaster  Stafford  made  him- 
self known  and  introduced  me  to  several  of  his  friends 
and  acquaintances,  among  them  General  Curtis  and 
Major  Lintner.  A  laughable  story  was  related  which 
afforded  considerable  amusement  soon  after  I  rode 
into  town.  It  seems  that  a  credulous  old  lady 
from  the  country  had  been  led  to  believe  that  a 
gentleman  would  ride  through  the  place  that  night 
on  the  horse  which  General  Washington  rode  during 
the  Revolution.  A  story  suggested,  no  doubt,  by  the 
subject  of  my  lecture.  She  had  come  in  to  sell  her 
firkin  of  butter  and  had  waited  until  long  after  dark 
for  the  rider  and  his  ancient  steed,  while  the  objects 
of  her  misguided  interest  were  resting  in  Saint  Johns- 
ville  unconscious  of  the  disappointment  they  were 
causing. 

Let  us  hope  that  she  never  discovered  her  mistake, 
for  the  old  are  often  sensitive  on  such  points.  It  is 
better  at  times  to  suffer  keen  disappointment  than  to 
find  we  have  been  too  credulous. 


Hi 


ALBANY  TO  SYRACUSE.  145 

5TtDentg-fir3t  Slay. 

12  Cornelia  Street, 

UTICA,  NEW  YORK, 

May  Twenty-ninth. 

After  considerable  trouble  in  finding  a  saddle  blanket 
for  Paul,  to  take  the  place  of  the  saddle  cloth  used 
until  we  reached  Little  Falls,  I  started  from  that 
romantic  town  at  nine  o'clock,  halting  at  Ilion  for 
dinner.  This  village,  well  known  through  the  firm  of 
the  Remingtons,  is  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Mohawk, 
twelve  miles  from  Utica.  From  here  the  famous 
Remington  machines  and  rifles  are  sent  all  over  the 
world. 

Farrington  met  me  two  miles  east  of  Utica  and 
escorted  me  back  to  the  city,  conducting  Colonel  Finley 
and  myself  to  rooms  which  had  been  engaged  for  us 
through  the  hospitality  of  J.  C.  Bates. 

•Left  my  pleasant  quarters  here  to  make  a  few  obser- 
vations about  town,  and  found  much  to  arrest  my 
attention.  A  century  ago  Utica  was  known  as  "Old 
Fort  Schuyler  "  from  a  small  stockade  of  that  name, 
built  on  the  site  in  1750.  As  the  country  grew  more 
peaceful,  and  the  life  of  the  future  city  began,  the 
name  was  changed.  A  gradual  slope  of  the  land  from 
the  river  gave  from  the  more  elevated  parts  some  very 
fine  views;  and  the  public  parks  with  their  shade 
trees  and  gay.  flowers  made  a  rich  adornment  to  a  nat- 
urally attractive  city.  The  great  Erie  Canal  passes 
through  the  centre  of  the  city  and  is  joined  by  the 
Chenango  Canal  at  this  point.  Among  the  landmarks 
are  the  homes  of  Roscoe  Conkling  and  Horatio  Sey- 
mour. 


146         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 


Stamvix  Hall, 

ROME,  NEW  YORK, 

May  Thirtieth. 

Was  compelled  to  remain  in  Utica  until  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  in  order  to  have  my  saddle  padded. 
This  brief  delay,  while  favoring  my  equine  friend,  was 
in  some  particulars  also  favorable  to  his  rider,  as  it  af- 
forded me  an  excellent  opportunity  to  gather  informa- 
tion I  desired  concerning  the  growth  of  this  enterpris- 
ing town. 

Rode  up  to  Rome  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Mohawk.  Soon  after  my  arrival  at  the  Stanwix  I 
met  a  large  number  of  Grand  Army  comrades.  Room 
"  14  "  had  been  engaged  and  made  a  rendezvous,  and 
here  until  a  late  hour  the  experiences  of  the  late  war 
were  told  over  again  and  our  battles  re-fought.  This 
gathering  of  comrades  to  celebrate  Memorial  Day  was 
marked  by  deep  and  enthusiastic  feeling  ;  and,  although 
my  day's  journey  had  somewhat  fatigued  me,  I  felt 
this  was  no  time  to  show  a  lack  of  spirit;  so  I  cheer- 
fully yielded  to  the  old  maxim,  "When  in  Rome  do  as 
the  Romans  do."  Through  the  courtesy  of  Captain 
Joseph  Porter,  then  Commander  of  Ski  lien  Post  47,  1 
was  introduced  to  Hon.  H.  J.  Coggeshall,  of  Water- 
ville;  Colonel  G.  A.  Cantine,  Hon.  W.  F.  Bliss,  Mr. 
Taylor,  editor  of  the  Sentinel,  and  many  others. 

Rome  lies  on  a  level  stretch  of  land  at  the  head  of 
the  valley,  whence  I  could  see  its  spires  as  I 
approached.  On  its  site  once  stood  old  Fort  Stanwix, 
of  Revolutionary  fame,  which  cost  the  British  £60,000 
sterling.  It  was  built  as  a  defence  against  the  French 


ALBANY  TO  SYRACUSE.  147 

in  Canada,  and  was  the  first  settlement"  before  the 
French  War.  From  that  time  until  the  close  of  the 
Revolution  it  was  an  important  frontier  post.  Rome 
is  the  centre  of  a  large  dairying  interest,  the  cheese 
factory  system  having  originated  here. 

Stuentg-lljtrii  EDatj. 

Chittenango  House, 

CHITTENANGO,  NEW  YORK, 

May  Thirty-first. 

Had  a  late  breakfast  at  the  Stanwix  and,  after  a 
stroll  through  the  streets  of  Rome,  called  for  my  horse 
at  ten  o'clock,  and  bidding  adieu  to  Grand  Army  com- 
rades who  had  assembled  to  see  me  start  from  their 
city,  mounted  and  rode  out  of  town.  The  journey, 
as  usual,  since  leaving  Albany,  lay  along  the  New 
York  Central.  The  roads  were  dry  and  favorable, 
the  weather  settled,  and  the  scenery  through  this  sec- 
tion of  the  Empire  State  such  as  to  make  my  journey 
most  enjoyable.  Chittenango  was  not  reached  until 
ten  o'clock,  as  the  distance  from  Rome  made  this  one 
of  the  longest  rides  noted  in  a  single  day.  The  twink- 
ling lights  of  the  village  looked  very  pleasant  as  I 
neared  my  destination,  marking  here  and  there  the 
homes  of  its  hundreds  of  inhabitants.  I  found  upon 
inquiry  at  the  Chittenango  House  that  I  was  the  only 
guest,  which  augured  well  for  a  good  night's  sleep. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TWO  DAYS  AT  SYRACUSE. 

AD  an  early  breakfast  at  Chittenango  and 
calling  for  Paul  at  eight  o'clock  mounted 
and  rode  forward,  with  the  city  of  Syra- 
cuse as  my  evening  destination.  Nothing 
of  especial  interest  occurred  to  vary  the 
day's  journey.  Syracuse  was  reached  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in  walks 
and  drives  through  the  city  which  I  had 
visited  several  times  in  former  years,  and  of  whose  his- 
tory I  had  a  fair  knowledge.  Long  before  the  white  man 
came,  a  band  of  Iroquois  had  built  their  wigwams  in  the 
low  basin,  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  hills,  that  lies  to 
the  south  of  Lake  Onondaga,  and  from  here  followed 
the  pursuits  of  war  and  peace.  We  first  hear  of  this 
Indian  village  in  1653  through  the  Jesuit  missionary, 
Father  Le  Moyne,  who  had  come  to  establish  good 
feeling  between  the  Iroquois  and  other  Indian  tribes ; 
and  we  see  strange  evidences  of  a  counteracting  in- 
fluence made  probably  by  his  own  countrymen  in 
the  discovery  of  European  weapons  and  ammunition, 
that  were  distributed  among  the  red  men  about  the 
same  time.  For  more  than  a  hundred  years  after 
(148) 


TWO  DAYS  AT  SYRACUSE.  149 

this,  the  present  site  of  Syracuse,  then  an  un- 
promising stretch  of  swamps,  was  the  home  of  the 
wolf  and  bear.  Over  its  dreary  waste  the  cry  of 
the  wild  cat,  the  warning  of  the  rattlesnake  and  the 
hooting  of  the  owl  lent  their  sounds  to  the  weird  chorus 
of  Nature,  and  it  was  here  that  the  wily  Indian  came  to 
seek  his  game.  It  was  through  Father  Le  Moyne, 
too,  that  we  hear  of  the  great  Salt  Springs,  which  he 
visited  at  the  southern  end  of  the  lake  in  company 
with  some  Huron  and  Onondaga  chiefs.  The  Indians, 
unable  to  comprehend  the  strange  effect  of  salt  and 
clear  water  bubbling  from  the  same  fountain,  had  a 
superstition  that  the  springs  were  possessed  by  an  evil 
spirit  and  were  afraid  to  drink  from  them  ;  but  when 
the  white  man  began  to  share  their  old  haunts,  we  hear 
of  the  bewitched  water  being  fearlessly  used,  and  the 
evil  spirit  converted  into  a  propitious  one.  It  was 
Major  Asa  Danforth  and  his  companion,  Colonel  Com- 
fort Tyler,  who  began  early  in  the  present  century  the 
enterprise  which  has  since  proved  such  a  splendid  suc- 
cess. These  two  pioneers  started  out  afoot  for  the 
springs  with  no  other  implements  than  an  axe,  chain 
and  kettle,  which  seem  primitive  enough  to  us  who 
know  of  the  means  that  are  now  employed  in  the  mak- 
ing of  this  great  staple.  Arrived  at  the  springs,  two 
young  trees  were  cut,  a  stout  branch  placed  in  their 
crochets  and  on  this  the  kettle  was  hung.  When  the 
work  was  finished,  the  men  hid  their  implements  in  the 
bushes  for  safety,  shouldered  their  rich  possession  and 
started  home  over  the  ground  that  in  a  few  years  was 
to  be  the  scene  of  such  striking  and  sudden  changes. 

Joshua   Forman  was  the  first  man  who  saw  a  prom- 
ising field  in  the  unhealthy  land  south  of  Lake  Onon- 


150         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

daga,  and  it  was  he  who  first  thought  of  a  plan  for  its 
improvement. 

With  characteristic  persistency  he  carried  out  his 
ideas,  and  with  the  co-operation  of  James  Geddes,  a 
surveyor  and  fellow-townsman,  did  more  to  convince 
men  of  the  practicability  of  laying  a  canal  route 
through  central  New  York  than  any  other  man.  At 
that  time  the  advocate  of  such  an  undertaking  was  con- 
sidered mad.  Even  the  President  shared  the  public 
view  of  the  matter,  and  when  the  zealous  member  from 
Onondaga  laid  the  plans  before  this  incredulous  gen- 
tleman, Jefferson  remarked  :  "  It  is  a  splendid  project, 
and  may  be  executed  a  century  hence."  It  must  have 
been  a  satisfaction  to  Judge  Forman  to  see  this  inland 
water-course  completed  a  few  years  later,  and  to  real- 
ize the  success  of  the  great  enterprise. 

When  the  breaking  up  of  the  unhealthy  soil  caused 
so  much  sickness  and  so  many  deaths  during  the  build- 
ing of  the  canal  at  Syracuse — then  "Corinth" — this 
thoughtful  benefactor  began  to  devise  a  way  for  im- 
proving the  ground,  which  resulted  in  the  passage  of 
a  bill,  a  year  later,  for  lowering  the  lake  by  means  oi 
drains.  This  stopped  the  injurious  overflow  that  oc- 
curred during  the  spring  months  and  eventually  put 
an  end  to  the  "Corduroy"  and  "gridiron"  roads  by 
which  the  "  dreary  waste  of  swamp "  had  been  hitherto 
approached. 

It  seems  strange  enough  now,  to  one  riding  through 
the  beautiful  and  regular  streets  of  the  present  city,  to 
realize  that  only  a  few  years  ago  its  pioneers  either 
followed  these  rough  routes,  or  went  around  by  the 
hills  to  avoid  them. 

In   April,  1820,  Syracuse    had  grown  sufficiently 


TWO  DAYS  AT  SYRACUSE.  151 

to  merit  the  distinction  of  a  Post  Office,  and  with 
this  new  acquisition  a  discussion  arose  about  its 
name.  It  had  been  called  successively  "  Webster's 
Landing,"  "South  Salina,"  "Bogardus  Corners," 
"Cossit's  Corners"  and  "Milan;"  but,  as  there  was 
another  "  Milan  "  in  the  State,  its  last  title  had  to  be 
abandoned.  For  awhile  it  was  known  as  "  Corinth," 
but  finally  by  an  odd  coincidence  it  was  named  by  its 
first  Postmaster,  John  Wilkinson,  after  the  old  Sicil- 
ian capital,  to  which  it  was  supposed  to  bear  a  slight 
resemblance.  Mr.  Wilkinson,  it  is  said,  in  reading  a 
poetical  description  of  the  ancient  city,  was  singularly 
impressed  by  its  name,  and  by  the  fact  that  there  was 
a  fountain  of  mythological  origin  just  beyond  its 
walls,  from  which  sprang  clear  and  salt  water. 

At  a  meeting  held  to  decide  the  matter,  he  among 
others  eloquently  discussed  his  choice,  and  it  was 
unanimously  accepted.  At  this  time,  the  government 
official  at  Syracuse  had  charge  of  such  vast  communi- 
cations from  "  Uncle  Sam,"  that  when  the  Post  Office 
was  transferred  later  to  the  office  of  John  Durford, 
printer,  Mr.  Wilkinson  carried  the  entire  concern, 
"  mail  matter,  letter  bags  and  boxes  on  his  shoulders !  " 
Still,  when  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette  visited  Syracuse, 
five  years  later,  it  had  made  such  rapid  advancement 
'that  it  called  forth  his  warmest  congratulations.  On 
this  occasion,  truly  a  great  one  among  the  city's  records, 
her  founder  and  benefactor,  Joshua  Forman,  was  chosen 
to  express  the  gratitude  of  her  people.  It  must  have 
been  a  pleasant  moment  for  the  brave  General  and  a 
proud  one  for  the  Syracusans  when,  in  response  to  their 
hospitality,  he  returned  Mr.  Forman's  courtesy  in  the 
following  words :  "  The  names  of  Onondaga  and  Syra- 


152         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

cuse,  in  behalf  of  whose  population  you  are  pleased  so 
kindly  to  welcome  me,  recall  to  my  mind  at  the  same 
time  the  wilderness  that,  since  the  time  I  commanded 
on  the  Northern  frontier,  has  been  transformed  into 
one  of  the  most  populous  and  enlightened  parts  of  the 
United  States;  and  the  ancient  Sicilian  city,  once  the 
seat  of  republican  institutions,  much  inferior,  how- 
ever, to  those  which  in  American  Syracuse  are  founded 
upon  the  plain  investigation,  the  unalloyed  establish- 
ment of  the  rights  of  men,  and  upon  the  best  repre- 
sentative forms  of  government.  No  doubt,  sir,  but 
that  among  the  co-operators  of  the  Revolution,  the 
most  sanguine  of  us  could  not  fully  anticipate  the 
rapidity  of  the  improvements  which,  on  a  journey  of 
many  thousand  miles — the  last  tour  alone  from  Wash- 
ington to  this  place  amounting  to  five  thousand  miles — 
have  delighted  me;  and  of  which  this  part  of  the 
country  offers  a  bright  example.  Be  pleased  to  ac- 
cept my  personal  thanks  and  in  behalf  of  the  people 
of  Onondaga  and  Syracuse  to  receive  this  tribute  of 
my  sincere  and  respectful  acknowledgments. " 

Could  the  Marquis  have  lived  longer,  and  made  his 
tour  hither  at  this  time,  he  would  scarcely  have  found 
words  to  express  his  surprise.  Perhaps  no  city  in 
New  York  has  made  such  great  strides  in  so  few 
years. 

Handsome  buildings  have  sprung  up  on  all  sides, 
each  one  adding  to  the  sightliness  of  the  place ;  and 
on  the  surrounding  hills  wealthy  residents  have  built 
their  charming  homes.  The  University  of  Syracuse, 
a  Methodist  institution,  built  upon  one  of  these  hills 
in  1870,  looks  down  invitingly  upon  the  knowl- 
edge-seekers of  the  city,  and  with  the  State  Ar- 


TWO  DAYS  AT  SYRACUSE.  153 

niory,  that  stands  in  the  park  near  Onondaga  Creek, 
would  furnish  a  brilliant  equipment  for  some  modern 
Minerva,  were  she  to  visit  this  interesting  namesake  of 
Sicilian  Syracuse. 

To  the  stranger  looking  out  for  characteristics,  the 
Salt  Works  are  the  most  prominent  among  them.  The 
sheds  stretch  along  like  enormous  stock-yards  at  one 
end  of  the  city,  but  looking  into  them  one  discovers 
great  vats  and  troughs  filled  with  salt  in  every  stage 
of  evaporation.  There  are  two  ways  by  which  the 
article  is  manufactured,  one  by  solar  and  the  other  by 
artificial  heat,  with  thirty  or  forty  companies  employ- 
ing their  chosen  method. 

Another  striking  feature  is  the  unusual  number  of 
public  halls.  This  is  due  to  the  central  location  which 
makes  Syracuse  a  favorite  point  for  conventions.  It 
was  my  pleasure  to  lecture  in  one  of  these,  "  Shake- 
speare Hall,"  on  my  first  evening  in  the  city,  where  I 
was  introduced  by  General  Augustus  Sniper.  After 
this  engagement,  I  went  by  rail  to  Buffalo,  on  business 
connected  with  my  proposed  lecture  in  that  city,  and 
returned  the  following  afternoon.  This  was  very  un- 
usual, as  it  was  contrary  to  the  practice  of  my  journey 
to  avail  myself  of  the  railway  under  any  circumstances. 
My  advance  agents  having  completed  preparations  for 
my  lecture  at  Rochester,  I  made  arrangements  to  re- 
sume my  journey  on  the  following  day.  My  short 
stay  here  gave  me  another  opportunity  to  look 
about  this  interesting  town,  and  to  realize  its  charms 
at  the  prettiest  season  of  the  year.  Some  have  be- 
lieved that  its  situation,  importance  and  beauty  w,ould 
win  for  Syracuse  the  honor,  so  long  bestowed  upon  the 
good  old  town  on  the  Hudson,  of  being  the  capital  of 


154         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  Empire  State.  Whether  or  not  it  will  ever  be 
known  as  such,  it  will  receive  the  flattering  acknowl- 
edgment of  being  one  of  the  loveliest  cities  in  New 
York. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SYRACUSE   TO   ROCHESTER. 


Camillus  House, 

CAMILLUS,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Third. 

OUNTED  in  front  of  the  Vanderbilt 
House,  Syracuse,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  A  large  number  of  friends 
and  acquaintances  had  assembled  to  see 
me  off,  among  them  many  G.  A.  R. 
comrades,  including  General  Sniper  and 
Captain  Auer;  the  latter  a  companion 
in  Libby  Prison  during  the  late  war. 
Thomas  Babcock,  who  had  been  acting 
as  an  assistant  to  my  advance  agents,  accom- 
panied me  as  far  as  Geddes,  and  arranged  to  co- 
operate with  my  brother  and  Mr.  Farrington  in  prep- 
aration for  my  lecture.  In  passing  through  this  little 
suburb  of  Geddes,  whose  name  by  the  way,  keeps  in 
memory  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Onondaga 
County,  my  attention  was  drawn  to  a  fine  building 
standing  on  a  hill,  overlooking  Syracuse.  I  learned 
that  it  was  the  New  York  Asylum  for  Imbeciles  and 
that  the  site,  a  magnificent  sweep  of  upland,  measur- 
8  (155) 


156          OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

ing  fifty-five  acres,  was  donated  by  the  city.  I  was 
stopped  just  west  of  here  by  a  thunder  shower  and  took 
refuge  under  a  tree.  Paul  and  I  had  waited  for  storms 
to  pass  over  before,  and  made  excellent  rainy-day 
friends.  We  rather  enjoyed  resting  under  some 
shelter  until  the  dust  was  well  laid  and  the  air  freshened. 
On  our  arrival  at  Camillus,  myself  and  horse  were  liter- 
ally covered  with  mud,  the  result  of  Paul's  fright  on  the 
approach  of  a  train  at  a  point  where  it  was  impossible 
to  leave  the  turnpike.  We  were  trotting  along  quietly 
and  had  just  turned  a  bend  in  the  road  when  the  quick 
ear  of  the  horse  caught  the  distant  rumbling  of 
wheels.  In  an  instant  he  was  on  the  alert,  and  when 
the  swift  express  came  round  the  curve,  made  a  sudden 
spring  to  the  right,  leaped  a  rail-fence,  and  landed  in 
a  bog  where  the  mud  was  two  or  three  feet  deep.  I 
managed  to  keep  the  saddle,  but  could  not  avoid  the 
mire  in  which  we  had  haplessly  fallen. 


Jordan  House, 

JORDAN,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Fourth. 

By  an  hour's  close  application  to  my  bespattered 
garments,  after  reaching  the  Camillus  House,  I  found 
that  I  was  ready  to  "turn  in"  for  the  night.  Started 
forward  in  the  morning,  the  ride  on  this  perfect  June 
day  proving  false  the  old  saying  that  "Jordan  is  a 
hard  road  to  travel."  This  village  was  reached  about 
noon  and  I  was  quite  prepared  for  the  generous  meal 
which  was  placed  before  me. 

When  the  gnawings  of  hunger  had  been  appeased  -I 


SYRACUSE  TO  ROCHESTER.  159 

gave  myself  up  to  the  agreeable  quiet  of  Sunday 
afternoon. 

There  was  ample  encouragement  for  such  a  course 
in  this  cosy  little  retreat  at  the  head  of  Lake  Skaneateles, 
for  there  was  not  a  sound  from  store  or  mill  while  the 
people  were  taking  their  Sabbath  rest. 

This  brief  halt  in  the  march  forward  was  very 
agreeable,  for  it  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  try  my 
own  powers  of  locomotion,  so  little  used  since  leaving 
Boston.  It  was  a  real  luxury  to  stroll  about  the  quiet 
lanes,  and  scan  the  outlying  fields  from  the  standpoint 
of  a  modest  pedestrian.  In  the  course  of  my  rambles 
I  came  across  some  photographers  from  Auburn  who 
had  been  taking  views  of  the  scenery  about  here. 
Some  of  their  pictures  were  excellent. 


Montezuma  Hotel, 

MONTEZUMA,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Fifth. 

The  Auburn  photographers  whom  I  saw  yesterday 
met  me  as  I  was  riding  out  of  Jordan,  and  proposed 
photographing  myself  and  Paul.  Some  time  was 
passed  and  several  ruses  resorted  to  in  attempting  to 
quiet  the  restless  animal,  but  he  skilfully  avoided  the 
camera. 

At  last  some  men  who  happened  to  be  near  offered 
their  assistance,  and  attempted  to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  horse  from  a  distance,  by  jumping  up  aud 
clown  in  a  neighboring  field.  Paul  threw  his  head  for- 
ward, quietly  and  curiously  watching  their  manoeuvres. 
He  was  evidently  amused,  but  there  was  no  spirit  to 


160          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  picture.  Unfortunately  the  "  spirited  "  part  of  the 
scene  was  out  of  range. 

This  delay  for  vanity's  sake  prevented  us  from 
getting  farther  than  Weedsport  by  noon,  where  a 
brief  halt  was  made  for  dinner.  I  was  met  here  by 
W.  H.  Ransom  and  the  proprietor  of  the  Howard 
House  of  Port  Byron,  who  came  over  to  Weedsport 
and  escorted  me  to  their  village,  where  I  had  tea  and 
was  very  courteously  entertained  fora  few  hours.  On 
leaving  Port  Byron,  these  gentlemen  rode  forward 
with  me  towards  Montezuma  Swamp,  which  lies 
between  the  two  towns.  Here  we  parted  company, 
there  being  no  reason  why  they  should  "  run  the 
gauntlet "  with  me.  I  had  heard  wonderful  tales  of  the 
dreaded  monsters  of  this  swamp,  who  were  reputed  to 
be  the  very  worst  mosquitoes  on  record,  not  excepting 
their  famous  kinsmen  of  the  Hackensack  Flats,  New 
Jersey. 

Unable  to  bear  patiently  the  torture  of  my  assail- 
ants who  were  swarming  around  me  by  thousands,  I 
put  spurs  to  Paul,  and  went  through  at  a  gallop ;  but 
notwithstanding  this  attempt  to  put  the  enemy  to  rout, 
superior  numbers  gave  them  the  advantage  and  their 
victim  came  out  covered  with  scars. 

When  Moutezuma  was  reached  we  were  glad  to  rest, 
for  our  late  adventure  had  quite  exhausted  both  horse 
and  rider. 

83wntg~nmtf)  Slag. 

Newark  House, 

NEWARK,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Sixth. 

The  journey  along  the  line  of  the  New  York  Central 


SYRACUSE  TO  ROCHESTER,.  163 

from  Montezuma  to  Newark,  was  an  exciting  one  to 
me  and  Paul.  I  had  long  since  learned  that  whenever 
the  route  brought  us  in  close  proximity  with  the  rail- 
road, the  quiet  pursuit  of  our  way  was  often  varied 
by  exciting  moments,  owing  to  PauVs  suspicion  of  the 
"  iron  horse."  The  climax  of  these  escapades  was 
reached  this  morning,  when  Paul,  becoming  frightened 
by  an  approaching  train  repeated  the  experience  of  three 
days  ago  by  plunging  into  a  slough,  about  two  miles 
from  Newark,  and  completely  covering  himself  and 
rider  with  mud.  When  I  had  recovered  sufficiently 
to  realize  the  situation,  my  thoughts  were  not  as 
amiable,  I  fear,  as  those  of  Bunyan's  good  Christian, 
tried  in  like  manner.  The  "slough  of  despond"  was 
so  very  literal  in  this  case. 

I  had  made  every  effort  to  control  the  excited 
animal,  but  found  the  attempt  useless ;  and  I  verily 
believe  if  he  were  between  the  infernal  regions  and  a 
coming  train,  he  would  choose  the  former  at  a  bound. 
It  was  rather  trying  to  appear  before  people  of  the 
town  in  such  a  lamentable  condition,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  discomforts  arising  from  damp  clothing;  but 
there  was  no  alternative,  so  I  followed  my  course; 
the  unfortunate  victim  of  circumstances. 


®f)irttetl) 


Fairport  House, 

FAIRPORT,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Seventh, 


Resumed  march  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but 
the  weather  was  so  oppressively  warm  and  sultry,  that 
I  was  obliged  to  wait  over  from  noon  until  six  o'clock. 


164         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Riding  in  the  cool  of  the  day  was  much  more  agree- 
able, yet,  notwithstanding  the  physical  comfort,  I 
must  confess  that  the  lonely  and  unknown  road  gave 
rather  a  gloomy  forecast  to  my  thoughts.  Beside 
this,  I  found  some  difficulty  in  obtaining  necessary 
directions,  and  lost  the  chief  charm  of  the  journey — 
a  view  of  the  beautiful  country  through  which  I  was 
passing. 

It  had  not  been  my  intention  to  do  any  travelling 
after  sundown  unless  the  heat  made  it  absolutely 
necessary,  but  in  this  instance  I  felt  justified  in  chang- 
ing the  original  plan.  Moving  along  through  the 
unfamiliar  scenes,  I  missed  the  pleasant  coloring  of 
woods  and  fields  under  the  broad  light  of  day,  the 
noisy  hum  the  sunshine  calls  forth,  and  the  sound  of 
the  birds,  always  the  sweetest  music  to  me.  Instead 
of  these  there  was  the  mystical  silence  of  night, 
broken  only  by  the  clatter  of  Paul's  hoofs  over  the 
dusty  road.  Four  hours'  steady  travel  brought  us  in 
sight  of  the  straggling  lights  of  the  little  post-village 
of  Fairport,  where  we  stopped  for  the  night.  Found 
several  Rochester  papers  awaiting  me  here,  which  con- 
tained pleasant  reference  to  my  proposed  lecture  at 
Corinthian  Hall. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FOUR   DAYS    AT   ROCHESTER. 

[TICIPATING  rain  during  the  fore- 
noon and  fearing  that  my  journey 
might  be  interrupted  in  consequence, 
I  started  at  an  early  hour  on  the  morn- 
ing of  June  eighth  from  Fairport,  and 
riding  at  a  brisk  pace  came  into 
Rochester  at  eleven  o'clock. 

Just  before  reaching  the  city,  a  halt 
was  made  at  a  little  hamlet,  two  or  three 
miles  out,  for  the  purpose  of  treating  Paul's  back. 
Heretofore  the  necessity  of  meeting  my  lecture 
appointments  along  the  route  had  given  me  no 
opportunity  to  attend  to  the  painful  bruise,  al- 
though I  had  been  studying  the  various  modes 
of  treatment  recommended  by  veterinary  surgeons 
from  the  time  I  left  Boston  until  now.  The 
peculiar  nature  of  my  journey  gave  me  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  follow  this  especial  course,  and  I  felt 
confident  of  my  ability  to  do  all  that  was  possible  for 
my  faithful  horse,  yet  at  every  stopping-place  some 
kindly  disposed  admirer  of  the  horse  had  some  favor- 
ite prescription  which  he  had  found  a  never-failing 
cure  for  the  particular  affliction  that  daily  confronted 
me.  The  enterprising  little  hamlet  in  question  had 

(165) 


166         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

its  famed  savant,  who  thought  it  would  be  highly 
imprudent  of  me  to  proceed  farther  without  his 
advice — and  a  bottle  of  his  "Seven-Sealed  Wonder." 

Anxious  to  make  Rochester  at  the  earliest  moment 
possible,  I  had  no  time  to  discuss  the  merits  of  this 
great  elixir,  so,  noting  the  price  on  the  face  of  the 
bottle,  I  handed  this  modest  disciple  of  .ZEsculapius 
the  amount  due,  although  he  generously  protested,  and 
congratulating  myself  upon  being  the  most  highly 
favored  traveller  between  Boston  and  San  Francisco, 
rode  away. 

On  a  hill  just  beyond  the  village  and  well  out  of 
sight,  I  came  upon  an  old  barn  standing  to  the  left  of 
the  road,  on  whose  front  I  noticed  a  huge  door  with  a 
knothole  in  the  centre.  Now  was  my  opportunity  for 
unsealing  the  "Wonder.77  In  an  instant  I  brought 
Paul  to  a  standstill  and  rising  in  the  saddle,  tried  my 
luck.  The  "  Wonder 77  fell  short  of  the  mark,  but  it  met 
a  resistance  from  the  old  door  which  effectually  tested 
its  powers,  and  in  my  humble  opinion  placed  the  good 
doctor  high  up  in  his  profession.  This  momentary 
diversion  over,  I  again  resumed  the  march,  vowing 
that  this  would  be  my  last  experiment  with  "sealed 
wonders77  and  that  hereafter  I  would  confine  my 
treatment  to  bathing  Paul's  back  with  warm  water 
and  castile  soap,  whose  virtue  I  had  learned  in  the 
cavalry  service  during  the  war. 

Found  that  the  Rochester  papers  had  been  discuss- 
ing my  military  record  before  my  arrival,  and  that 
the  Express  and  Sunday  Morning  Times  had  upheld 
my  cause  against  the  Union,  which  had  ventured  some 
falsehoods  on  the  ground  that  my  "  youthful  appear- 
ance 77  belied  my  experience  as  a  soldier.  With  this 


FOUR  DATS  AT  ROCHESTER.  167 

pleasant  criticism  came  another  greeting  from  the  city 
press.  It  had  been  announced  that  I  would  probably 
arrive  at  the  Osburn  House  at  four  in  the  afternoon, 
hence  it  was  not  strange  that  my  sudden  appearance  at 
an  earlier  hour  caused  some  surprise  and  led  to  the 
impression  that  I  had  come  forward  by  rail,  and  that 
my  horseback  journey  was  possibly  not  an  entirely 
genuine  affair.  I  may  add  that  it  had  not  occurred  to 
me  that  my  trip  across  country  was  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  warrant  any  criticism  upon  my  methods 
so  long  as  I  met  my  lecture  appointments  promptly. 
The  sharp  comment  had  no  more  serious  result  than 
that  of  increasing  the  lecture  receipts  in  the  cities 
which  followed. 

My  tenth  lecture  was  delivered  in  Corinthian  Hall, 
at  the  usual  hour  in  the  evening,  the  introduction 
being  made  by  Colonel  J.  A.  Reynolds. 

Next  day,  June  ninth,  gave  me  an  opportunity  to 
look  up  the  familiar  places  and  to  note  the  changes 
that  had  occurred  since  my  last  visit  to  the  city. 
The  cleanliness  and  beauty  of  the  streets,  now  in  their 
summer  glory  of  tree  and  flower,  made  such  a  tour  of 
inspection  anything  but  unpleasant. 

East  avenue,  where  the  "  flour  and  coal  kings  "  are 
at  home,  is  an  attractive  place  in  which  to  see  individ- 
ual taste  carried  out  in  architecture  and  horticulture. 
Down  town,  where  the  "  kings  "  are  at  work,  there  is 
a  brisk  activity  which  pervades  everything,  like  an 
unending  accompaniment  to  the  Falls,  whose  sounds 
always  mingle  with  those  of  the  busy  life  around 
them.  Perhaps  it  was  this  continual  encouragement 
from  the  river,  offered  to  her  early  pioneers,  that  has 
given  Rochester  such  a  notable  career  and  made  her 


168      OCEAN  fo  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  metropolis  of  the  Genesee  Valley :  for  with  that 
first  mill-wheel  set  into  the  stream  by  old  "  Indian 
Allen,"  the  faithful  waters  have  kept  up  a  continual 
flow  of  good  fortune. 

Her  characteristic  enterprise,  milling,  begun  by 
this  same  Allen,  has  been  an  unfailing  source  of 
wealth  ;  the  golden  grain  with  almost  magic  trans- 
formation filling  the  coffers  of  her  merchants  and 
giving  her  the  security  that  a  healthy  financial  condi- 
tion brings.  Besides  this,  she  owes  much  to  that 
liberal-minded  gentleman,  Colonel  Nathaniel  Roches- 
ter, who  came  with  his  family  from  Maryland 
when  the  settlement  was  in  its  infancy,  and  made  his 
home  in  "  the  pleasant  valley."  It  is  amusing  to 
fancy  the  unique  procession,  headed  by  the  Colonel 
and  his  sons  on  horseback,  that  started  out  towards 
"the  wild  west"  in  the  summer  of  1802.  There 
were  carriages  for  the  ladies  and  servants,  and  wagons 
for  provisions  and  household  goods,  stretched  out  in 
formidable  array  :  for  railroads  were  out  of  the  ques- 
tion then. 

We  hear  that  the  travellers  met  with  cordial  hospi- 
tality at  the  villages  and  towns  along  their  route,  and 
that  their  arrival  created  quite  a  sensation.  In  fact  it 
was  an  historical  event.  Two  friends  of  the  Roches- 
ters,  William  Fitzhugh  and  Charles  Carroll,  cast  in 
their  fortunes  with  them,  and  in  1802  bought  together 
the  three  hundred  acres  at  the  Upper  Falls,  which 
were  laid  out  for  a  settlement  ten  years  later.  In 
those  times  the  prestige  of  a  name  went  far  towards 
establishing  a  reputation,  and  the  one  chosen  by  the 
people  of  the  settlement  was  afterward  proudly  placed 
upon  the  municipal  banner.  Soon  after  the  advent 


FOU&  DAYS  AT  &OC&ESTER.  169 

of  Colonel  Rochester  and  his  friends,  the  scheme  for 
making  a  water  communication  between  the  Lakes 
and  the  Sea  began  to  be  eagerly  discussed,  and  there 
were  not  a  few  energetic  representatives  from  "Roches- 
terville  "  who  lent  their  efforts  towards  the  carrying  out 
of  the  plan.  When  the  canal  was  completed  there 
was  the  wildest  enthusiasm  in  Rochester,  which  would 
perhaps  have  a  greater  benefit  than  any  other  place 
along  the  route:  for  with  her  big  grain  and  coal  inter- 
ests, her  future  prosperity  seemed  assured. 

The  natural  course  of  events  followed.  Improve- 
ment and  embellishment  began  on  all  sides.  New 
buildings  and  enterprises  started  up  on  solid  foun- 
dations, and  provision  was  made  for  those  who 
might  "drop  out  of  the  ranks,"  in  the  selection  of 
beautiful  Mount  Hope,  one  of  the  loveliest  cemeteries 
in  point  of  natural  charm  in  this  country.  It  lies  on 
a  wooded  slope  between  the  lake  and  the  city,  and  its 
pathways,  shadowed  by  the  great  trees  from  the  "forest 
primeval,"  are  the  playgrounds  for  the  wild  little 
creatures  who  make  their  homes  there  unmolested. 

Back  again  into  the  town  where  the  sound  of  the 
Falls  is  heard,  and  one  thinks  of  the  odd  touch  a  simple 
character  has  added  to  the  traditions  of  the  place,  and 
whose  name,  to  a  stranger,  is  so  often  associated  with 
that  of  Rochester.  This  quaint  figure  is  none  other 
than  "Sam  Patch,  the  jumper,"  who  met  his  fate  by 
leaping  into  the  Genesee  at  the  "Falls,"  and  who  left  as 
a  legacy  the  warning  maxim,  "  Be  careful,  or,  like 
Sam  Patch,  you  may  jump  once  too  often."  History 
has  chronicled  Sam's  last  speech,  delivered  from  the 
platform,  just  before  his  fatal  leap ;  which,  as  a  sample 
of  rustic  oratory,  is  amusing. 


170         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

He  said  :  "  Napoleon  was  a  great  man  and  a  great 
general.  He  conquered  armies,  and  he  conquered 
nations,  but  he  couldn't  jump  the  Genesee  FaUs. 
Wellington  was  a  great  man  and  a  great  soldier.  He 
conquered  armies,  and  he  conquered  nations,  and  he 
conquered  Napoleon,  but  he  couldn't  jump  the  Gene- 
see  Falls.  That  was  left  for  me  to  do,  and  I  can  do 
it,  and  will." 

Rochester,  the  capital  of  Monroe  County,  New 
York,  was  first  settled  in  1810,  and  incorporated  as  a 
city  in  1834.  It  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
Genesee  River,  seven  miles  from  Lake  Ontario,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Albany  and  sixty-nine 
from  Buffalo  by  railway.  An  aqueduct  of  stone  car- 
ries the  Erie  Canal  across  the  river,  the  cost  of  which 
amounted  to  over  half  a  million  dollars.  The  city  is 
well  laid  out  with  wide  and  handsome  streets,  lined 
with  shade  trees. 

Within  the  city  limits  the  Genesee  undergoes  a 
sudden  descent  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-eight  feet, 
falling  in  three  separate  cataracts  within  a  distance  of 
two  miles.  The  roar  of  these  falls  is  heard  contin- 
ually all  over  the  city,  but  no  one  is  inconvenienced  by 
it  in  the  slightest  degree.  The  cataracts  are  believed 
to  have  formed,  at  one  time,  a  single  fall,  but  the  dif- 
ferent degrees  of  hardness  of  the  rocks  have  caused 
an  unequal  retrograde  movement  of  the  falls,  until 
they  have  assumed  their  present  position.  At  the 
Upper  Falls,  the  river  is  precipitated  perpendicularly 
ninety-six  feet.  It  then  flows  between  nearly  perpen- 
dicular walls  of  rock,  for  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  to 
the  Middle  Falls,  where  it  has  another  descent  of  twenty- 
five  feet.  One  hundred  rods  below,  at  the  Lower 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  ROCHESTER.  173 

Falls,  it  again  descends  eighty-four  feet,  which  Jbrings 
the  stream  to  the  level  of  Lake  Ontario,  into  which 
it  enters. 

The  immense  water-power  thus  afforded  in  the  cen- 
tre of  one  of  the  finest  wheat-growing  regions  in  the 
world,  with  the  facilities  of  transportation  afforded  by 
the  Erie  Canal,  Lake  Ontario,  and  the  several  rail- 
ways, have  given  a  vast  impulse  to  the  prosperity  of 
Rochester  and  it  has,  in  consequence,  become  one  of 
the  most  important  manufacturing  cities  in  the  East. 
At  the  period  of  my  visit,  there  were  eighteen  flour 
mills  in  operation,  grinding  annually  2,500,000  bush- 
els of  wheat.  The  manufacturing  interests  are  im- 
mense— ready-made  clothing  being  the  most  extensive, 
and  boots  and  shoes  ranking  next.  Other  leading 
manufactures  are  those  of  iron  bridges,  India-rubber 
goods,  carriages,  furniture,  optical  instruments,  steam 
engines,  glassware  and  agricultural  machinery.  Of 
flourishing  industries  may  be  mentioned  breweries, 
tobacco  factories,  blast  furnaces  and  fruit  canning. 

The  largest  nurseries  in  America  are  found  here. 
Thousands  of  acres  within  a  short  distance  of  the  city 
are  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit  trees,  and 
millions  of  these  trees  are  annually  shipped  to  other 
States  and  foreign  countries.  Over  $2,000,000  is  the 
annual  product  of  these  prolific  nurseries. 

The  city  is  fast  becoming  a  great  distributing  centre 
for  coal,  which  is  conveyed  in  vessels  to  all  points  on 
the  Great  Lakes.  Rochester,  being  the  business  centre 
of  the  fertile  Genesee  Valley,  shows  a  steady  growth 
in  business  and  wealth.  It  has  a  magnificent  system 
of  water-works,  constructed  at  a  cost  of  $3,250,000, 
the  water  being  supplied  from  two  sources — one  from 


174         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  ri^er,  which  is  used  for  extinguishing  fires  and 
running  light  machinery ;  the  other  from  Hemlock 
Lake,  twenty-nine  miles  from  the  centre  of  the  city, 
and  four  hundred  feet  above  it.  This  water  is  sent 
through  sixty  miles  of  mains,  the  pressure  being  such 
as  to.  throw  from  the  hydrants  a  stream  one  hundred 
and  thirty  feet  perpendicularly.  No  city  is  more 
perfectly  protected  from  fire. 

At  the  corner  of  Main  and  State  streets  are  the 
Powers'  Buildings,  a  peculiar  block  of  stores,  built  of 
stone,  glass  and  iron,  seven  stories  high.  In  the 
upper  halls  is  a  fine  collection  of  paintings.  A  tower 
surmounts  the  building,  from  which  a  frne  view  of  the 
city  and  its  surroundings  is  obtained.  "  The  Arcade'' 
is  roofed  with  glass  and  numerous  fine  stores  line  its 
sides.  Opposite  stands  the  County  Court  House,  a 
handsome  building  of  gray  limestone,  with  a  tower 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  high.  The  hand- 
somest building  in  the  city  is,  I  think,  the  Rochester 
Savings  Bank,  corner  of  Main  and  Fitzhugh  streets. 
The  First  Baptist,  the  First  Presbyterian  and  the 
Catholic  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick  are  the  finest  church 
edifices. 

There  are  twelve  spacious  parks  here,  and  four 
elegant  bridges  cross  the  Genesee.  The  Rochester 
University,  founded  by  the  Baptist  denomination  in 
1850,  is  located  on  a  tract  of  twelve  acres,  a  little  to 
the  east  of  the  city.  It  has  a  valuable  library  and 
mineralogical  cabinet.  The  State  Reform  School  or 
Western  House  of  Refuge  for  vicious  boys  is  an  im- 
posing edifice,  containing  usually  about  four  hundred  in- 
mates. Mount  Hope,  the  site  of  the  cemetery — before 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  ROCHESTER.  175 

referred  to — is  a  beautiful  eminence  overlooking  the 
city. 

At  the  time  of  my  visit,  Rochester  supported  thirty- 
four  newspapers  and  periodicals,  of  which  six  were 
dailies.  The  population  was  about  90,000. 

It  seems  that  Fortune  has  favored  the  "  Flour 
City,"  or  at  least  that  wise  heads  and  generous  hearts 
have  planned  for  her  greatest  good.  It  is  proper  to 
look  back  into  the  beginnings  for  the  keynote  to  suc- 
cess in  our  American  towns,  and  in  this  case,  we 
doubtless  find  it  in  the  unselfish  forethought  of  the 
first  men  added  to  its  wonderful  natural  resources. 

A  simple  little  incident,  told  of  Colonel  Rochester, 
illustrates  the  principle,  whose  benefit  others  are  reap- 
ing. He  was  working  in  his  garden  one  day,  setting 
out  fruit  trees,  when  a  neighbor  came  along  and 
stopped  to  chat.  The  Colonel  said  :  "  I  do  not  know 
that  I  shall  eat  any  fruit  from  the  trees  I  am  plant- 
ing, but  as  I  eat  from  trees  somebody  planted  for  me, 
I  must  set  out  trees  for  those  who  will  come  after 
me."  It  was  this  provision  for  those  who  were  to 
"  come  after "  that  has  done  much  towards  making 
Rochester  what  she  is  to-day. 


CHAPTER  X. 


ROCHESTER  TO   BUFFALO. 


Styrtg-fiftl) 

Sprague  House, 

CHURCHVILLE,  NEW  YORK, 

June  12,  1876. 

FOUND  as  I  mounted  Paul  at  nine 
o'clock  in  front  of  the  Osburn  House 
that  on  this  twelfth  of  June,  1876,  my 
day's  ride  would  be  a  trying  one  on 
account  of  the  heat,  but  it  was  impos- 
sible to  change  the  weather  and  im- 
practicable to  change  my  plans,  so  I 
accepted  the  inevitable.  As  usual 
through  Central  New  York  a  number 
of  Grand  Army  friends  and  others  had  assembled 
to  see  me  off,  and  to  wish  me  a  safe  journey  to  the 
"Golden  Gate."  This  cordiality,  shown  me  all  along 
the  route,  took  away  the  sense  of  strangeness  natural 
to  one  travelling  through  comparatively  unfamiliar 
places,  and  gave  me  an  idea  of  the  hospitality  of  our 
American  people.  The  pleasant  good-byes  over,  Paul 
and  I  started  away  in  the  direction  of  Chili,  which  we 
reached  about  noon.  Here  I  had  dinner  and  passed 
the  remainder  of  the  day,  resorting  again  to  the  even- 
(176) 


ROCHESTER   TO  BUFFALO.  179 

ing  hours  for  resuming  my  journey  ;  and  I  may  add 
that  in  this  instance  I  found  u  something  in  a  name/' 
for  Chili  was  an  admirable  place  to  keep  cool  in. 

At  six  o'clock  I  started  on  towards  Churchville, 
coming  in  sight  of  its  church  spires  a  little  after  sun- 
set, and  lessening  the  distance  to  Sail  Francisco  by 
some  fifteen  miles. 

Notwithstanding  the  stop  over  at  Chili,  I  was  glad 
when  we  came  to  the  end  of  my  journey,  and  must 
confess  that  as  I  rode  into  the  village  the  sight  of  the 
Sprague  House  gratified  me  more  than  the  view  of  the 
picturesque  town  as  I  saw  it  outlined  against  the  even- 
ing sky. 


Byron  Centre  Hotel, 

BYRON  CENTRE,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Thirteenth. 

Soon  after  breakfast  in  Churchville,  I  threw  myself 
into  the  saddle  and  started  for  Bergen  Corners,  reach- 
ing it  by  eleven  o'clock.  This  distance  of  two  miles 
was  covered  very  leisurely,  for  there  was  no  pressing 
engagement  to  fill,  and  I  could  "  gang  my  own  gait." 
When  there  was  anything  to  attract  the  eye  —  a  sightly 
field  of  grain,  or  change  of  scene,  I  usually  stopped 
to  notice  it  and  add  one  more  impression  to  the  pano- 
rama which  my  overland  journey  continually  spread 
before  me.  At  the  "Corners"  I  spent  a  few  hours 
quietly,  if  I  except  the  slight  interruptions  of  the 
landlord  of  the  Hooper  House  and  his  family.  These 
interruptions  for  curiosity's  sake  were  easily  par- 
doned by  me,  for  anything  a  little  humorous  and 
characteristic  is  always  acceptable  to  one  bent  on  see- 
9 


180         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

ing  life  in  all  its  phases;  and  besides,  the  softening 
influence  of  home-made  bread  and  other  country 
luxuries,  which  were  furnished  me  here,  tended  to 
make  me  look  charitably  upon  everything. 

In  the  afternoon  I  left  for  Byron  Centre,  reaching 
it  at  six 'o'clock  and  making  eleven  miles  for  the  day. 
While  at  supper  there,  the  guests  of  the  Byron  Centre 
House  were  greatly  amused  by  two  itinerant  photog- 
raphers who,  after  their  day's  work  was  done,  made  a 
practice  of  entertaining  the  public  with  fife  and  drum. 
Through  this  cunning  advertising  scheme  it  was  my 
good  fortune  to  see  one  of  the  most  interesting  crowds 
that  rustic  America  could  bring  together.  These 
enterprising  "artist  musicians"  seemed  to  possess  the 
magic  powers  of  Orpheus,  for  the  villagers  attracted 
by  their  strains  came  flocking  from  every  direction 
and  unconsciously  made  up  a  group  which  would 
have  been  irresistible  to  a  painter,  and  which  was 
certainly  interesting  to  the  ordinary  observer.  The 
sight  was  an  entirely  novel  one  to  me,  for  although 
I  am  a  New  Yorker,  and  have  seen  roving  concerns 
of  almost  every  description,  this  particular  species 
had  never  come  to  mv  notice.  Through  the  cour- 
tesy of  Charles  Leonard,  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel 
here,  I  was  introduced  to  several  Byron  Centre  gentle- 
men, among  them  Rev.  Edwin  Allen,  who  called  just 
before  my  departure.  Mr.  Allen  was  most  cordial, 
and  gave  me  a  very  clever  idea  of  the  place,  and  the 
country  adjacent. 

Throughout  my  journey  I  was  often  placed  under 
obligations  of  this  sort.  They  added  to  my  pleasure 
and  increased  my  facilities  for  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  people  and  the  country. 


ROCHESTER  TO   BUFFALO.  181 


St.  James  Hotel, 

BATAVIA,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Fourteenth. 


A  delightful  shower  of  the  previous  evening  cooled 
the  air,  and  made  my  journey  to  Batavia  exceedingly 
pleasant.  During  the  day  I  passed  some  of  the  finest 
clover  and  wheat  fields  that  I  had  seen  since  leaving 
Rochester.  The  rain  may  have  brightened  their  color 
and  made  them  look  their  best,  but  regardless  of  this, 
it  is  evident  that  the  soil  through  this  section  of  New 
York  is  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation,  and 
signs  of  thrift  are  noticeable  on  every  hand.  I  found, 
as  is  generally  the  case  upon  approaching  a  town,  the 
farms  more  tastefully  laid  out,  with  their  wide 
stretches  of  wheat,  and  their  pretty  conventional 
"  kitchen  gardens." 

After  these  outskirting  homes  I  came  upon  the 
more  dignified  buildings  of  Batavia  proper,  where 
push  and  enterprise  have  made  some  striking  advances. 
It  is  quite  a  business  town,  having  its  share  of 
manufactories,  banks  and  newspapers,  and,  with  its 
population  of  something  over  four  thousand,  possess- 
ing the  benefits  of  a  larger  place.  It  is  thirty-two 
miles  west  of  Rochester  and  thirty-seven  east  of 
Buffalo.  The  State  Institute  for  the  Blind  is  situated 
here. 

In  the  evening  I  lectured  at  Ellicott  Hall,  and  was 
introduced  by  lawyer  L.  L.  Crosby,  a  comrade  of  the 
Grand  Army,  who,  during  the  late  war,  was  an  officer 
in  the  Fifth  Michigan  Cavalry.  Among  those  who 


182         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

called  upon  me  at  the  St.  James  before  the  lecture 
was  Samuel  A.  Lester^  a  fellow-soldier  of  the  Harris 
Light  Cavalry,  with  whom  I  talked  over  many  of 
our  experiences  in  Company  "  E  "  of  the  "  Old  Regi- 
ment." Nothing  has  been  so  gratifying  to  me  in  the 
course  of  my  journey,  changes  of  scene,  or  new  faces, 
as  these  meetings  with  old  comrades,  and  the  talks  of 
camp  and  field.  Separating  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
when  the  trying  experiences  we  had  equally  shared 
had  drawn  us  strangely  together,  it  was  natural  that  a 
glimpse  of  those  we  had  known  under  such  circum- 
stances should  be  a  delight  after  so  many  years.  It  gave 
a  different  phase  to  my  journey,  too,  and  made  it  not 
only  a  series  of  new  and  pleasant  changes,  but  an 
extended  visit  which  might  delight  any  traveller. 


Crossroads, 

NEAR  CROFT'S  STATION,  NEW  YORK, 
June  Fifteenth. 

I  did  not  find  it  convenient  to  leave  Batavia  until 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  but  as  most  of  the  six 
miles  between  the  two  places  lay  through  a  swampy 
region,  I  had  a  running  fight  with  the  mosquitoes, 
which  encouraged  me  to  make  good  time,  so  that  I 
reached  "  Croft's"  in  an  hour.  On  my  arrival  I  found 
Babcock  awaiting  me  with  accommodation  provided 
at  a  quiet  little  retreat  situated  at  the  Crossroads, 
which  was  hotel,  grocery  and  farm-house  in  one. 
This  odd  grocery-tavern  is  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
station  ;  just  far  enough  away  to  have  peculiarities  of 
its  own.  While  its  proprietor  was  throwing  down 


ROCHESTER  TO  BUFFALO.  185 

hay  for  Paul  from  his  barn  loft,  he  in  some  way  lost 
his  footing  and  fell  through,  but  no  serious  damage 
was  done. 

This  little  incident  simply  added  an  extra  attraction 
to  the  "  horse  that  was  going  to  California."  In  the 
course  of  the  morning  I  went  to  the  hotel  sitting-room 
to  make  some  observations  and  to  post  my  journal. 
While  quietly  occupied  in  this  way  I  noticed  the 
arrival  of  several  of  the  men  and  boys  of  the  place, 
who  came  in,  seated  themselves  on  the  wooden 
benches  that  were  placed  around  the  sides  of  the 
room,  and  began  unceremoniously  to  "  look  me  over." 
Phoebe,  the  proprietor's  daughter,  and  the  ruling 
spirit  at  the  "Corners,"  a  bright  little  maid,  who  filled 
the  offices  of  cook,  waitress,  chambermaid  and  clerk, 
assumed  one  of  her  various  roles  and  was  standing 
behind  the  counter.  Soon,  one  of  her  rustic  knights 
sauntered  up  to  her,  pipe  in  mouth,  and  called  out, 
"  Pheeb,  gimme  a  match  !"  Whereupon,  her  father, 
who  was  standing  on  one  side  of  the  room,  country 
fashion,  with  trousers  over  his  boot-tops,  and  in  his 
shirt  sleeves,  stepped  forward  and  said  with  admirable 
dignity,  "  Phebe,  sir!"  adding,  as  the  nonplused 
offender  made  some  bashful  apology,  "  You's  brought 
up  well  miff,  Jack,  but  you've  forgot  some  on't." 

This  was  an  unexpected  turn  of  affairs  which  I 
scarcely  expected  to  witness  at  "Croft's,"  but  it  at  least 
gave  evidence  of  a  certain  sense  of  refinement  which 
we  Americans  would  hardly  be  credited  with  outside 
our  cultivated  circles.  It  afforded,  too,  food  for  reflec- 
tion upon  that  assumption  of  equality  which  in  this 
country  so  often  tends  to  familiarity.  We  are  prone 
to  forget  that  "  familiarity  breeds  contempt." 


186         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 


Crittenden  House, 

CRITTENDEN,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Sixteenth. 

Started  from  "Croft's  "  at  ten  o'clock,  stopping  at  the 
little  post  village  of  Corfu  for  dinner,  where  I  was 
introduced  to  several  people  who  had  come  together 
to  greet  me  upon  my  arrival.  Among  them  \vere  Dr. 
Fuller,  Dr.  John  McPherson  and  S.  E.  Dutton. 
Dinner  over,  I  rested  until  five  o'clock,  resuming  my 
journey  at  that  hour  and  reaching  Crittenden  at  six. 
As  I  rode  up  to  the  hotel  at  this  place  I  found  that  a 
number  of  villagers  had  gathered  to  give  me  welcome, 
and  to  learn  something  of  my  journey  and  its  objects. 
I  talked  to  them  for  some  time  and  then  followed  a 
strong  inclination  to  walk  into  the  country.  There 
were  no  unusual  attractions  about  this  little  village  of 
a  hundred  souls  excepting  the  cordiality  of  its  people 
and  the  natural  attraction  that  there  always  is  about  a 
small  community  in  the  midst  of  thriving  acres.  To 
one  who  has  been  "a  country  boy"  himself,  these 
things  never  lose  their  charrn,  and  he  will  give  them 
the  preference,  I  think,  to  the  finest  sights  in  town. 

They  recall  a  certain  old  home  somewhere,  long 
since  abandoned  for  the  charms  of  Vanity  Fair,  or  a 
quaint  little  "  school  house "  where  he  first  began  to 
think  about  the  great  world  beyond.  They  form, 
too,  the  resting-places  in  the  ascent  of  the  hill  of  life, 
from  the  vantage-ground  of  which  we  may  review 
our  progress  since  those  early  days. 


ROCHESTER  TO  BUFFALO.  187 

Jbrttetl) 


American  House, 
LANCASTER,    NEW   YORK, 
June  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth. 

My  ride  from  Crittenden  to  this  place,  a  distance  of 
ten  miles,  was  made  in  easy  time  owing  to  the  oppres- 
sively warm  weather;  for  rny  only  aim  was  to  reach 
my  destination  in  season  to  meet  my  lecture  appoint- 
ment. Found  the  farmers  along  the  route  still  work- 
ing out  their  taxes  on  the  public  roads,  which  were 
greatly  in  need  of  attention.  Speaking  to  them  as  I 
passed  along  I  found  that  they  looked  rather  curiously 
at  the  strange  horse  and  rider,  doubtless  wondering 
whence  we  came  and  whither  we  were  bound. 

Addressed  my  Lancastrian  audience  in  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  in  the  evening,  Captain  G.  S. 
Remington  introducing. 

Early  in  the  morning  I  had  found,  upon  going  to  the 
stable,  that  Paul  was  badly  cut,  and  there  was  much 
speculation  as  to  how  and  by  whom  the  injury  was 
done;  but  it  was  generally  conjectured  that  he  had  had 
a  battle  with  a  horse  belonging  to  the  landlord,  during 
the  night.  This  horse,  which  was  a  large  and  powerful 
stallion,  had  recently  been  shod,  so  that  in  the  matter 
of  equipment  he  had  a  decided  advantage  over  "  Paul 
Revere"  who  was  possibly  not  averse  to  celebrating 
the  anniversary  of  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

The  day  following  my  arrival  at  Lancaster  being 
Sunday,  Captain  Remington  called  for  me  in  the 
morning,  and  I  accompanied  him  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 


188         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK:. 

As  we  passed  along  on  our  way  to  church,  I  had  a 
good  opportunity  to  see  this  little  town  on  Cayuga 
Creek,  and  the  added  advantage  of  a  personal  account 
of  the  place  from  one  of  its  residents.  Like  all 
towns  adjacent  to  a  large  city,  Lancaster  has  a  certain 
air  .of  independence,  and  unmistakable  signs  of  con- 
tact with  greater  forces ;  and  besides  its  pretty  homes, 
some  of  them  the  out-of-town  retreats  of  Buffalo 
business  men,  it  has  its  share  of  industrial  enterprises. 

Altogether,  it  is  a  pretty  little  neighbor  of  which 
any  city  might  be  proud,  and  which  in  its  peace-loving 
way  is  very  sensible  in  standing  off  at  a  distance  from 
its  busier  sister.  A  few  minutes  by  rail  can  take  its 
thousand  and  a  half  inhabitants  "to  town,"  where 
they  find  the  best  that  the  great  stores  provide ;  and  a 
ride  of  a  few  minutes  more  brings  them  out  of  the 
noise  to  their  own  quiet  haven. 

It  is  hard  to  realize  a  more  delightful  and  thor- 
oughly restful  existence  than  that  found  in  suburban 
villages,  where  the  influences  of  active  forces  are  felt, 
but  where  they  cannot  disturb  the  even  tranquillity. 
They  seem  to  illustrate  the  "golden  mean"  which 
Horace  recommends,  and  I  find  that  it  is  always 
pleasant  to  reach  such  places  and  hard  to  leave  them. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THREE  DAYS  AT  BUFFALO. 

N  hour's  ride  from  Lancaster,  on  the 
morning  of  the  nineteenth,  brought  to 
view  the  motley  array  of  chimneys 
and  towers  that  overtop  the  "  Queen 
City  of  the  Lakes."  While  making 
my  way  towards  them,  and  receiving 
first  impressions,  my  attention  was 
attracted  by  a  brigade  drill  on  the 
parade  ground,  which  I  halted  to  wit- 
ness. This  was  the  first  instance  during  my  journey 
in  whieh  I  had  encountered  any  considerable  body  of 
military  men,  with  the  exception  of  the  Grand  Army 
procession  at  Utica,  on  Memorial  Day.  The  march- 
ing and  manoeuvres  evinced  close  attention  to  tactics 
and  excellent  discipline,  and  the  equipment  of  officers 
and  men  reflected  much  credit  upon  the  Empire  State, 
which  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  these  her 
citizen-soldiers. 

Drill  over,  I  rode  on  into  Buffalo,  and,  soon  after 
registering  at  the  Tift  House,  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  Major  John  M.  Farquhar,  who  introduced  me 
to  my  audience  at  St.  James  Hall  in  the  evening. 

Major  Farquhar  is  a  comrade,  prominent  in  G.  A. 
E-.  circles,  and  was  then  commander  of  the  leading 

(191) 


192        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

post  of  the  city.  From  him  I  learned  something  of 
the  changes  which  had  taken  place  since  my  last  visit 
here,  and  which  I  was  desirous  to  see  as  much  of  as 
circumstances  would  allow.  Buffalo  has  a  peculiarly 
rich  history,  and,  like  the  old  towns  of  the  Mohawk 
Valley,  the  romantic  view  which  Indian  life  and  love 
have  given. 

Near  here  the  arrogant  Eries  held  their  councils, 
and  deliberated  upon  the  downfall  of  their  powerful 
neighbors  of  the  Five  Nations ;  who,  in  turn,  ruined 
and  almost  exterminated  them.  The  chronicles  tell 
us  that  the  Iroquois,  coming  by  invitation  to  engage 
in  friendly  contest  on  the  hunting-ground  of  the 
Eries,  soon  discovered  the  real  intent  of  the  wily 
"  Cats,"  who  were  jealous  of  the  renown  of  their  red 
brothers.  Failing  in  the  games  they  had  themselves 
proposed,  and  blind  wifch  rage,  they  saw  their  tolerant 
guests  depart  with  the  trophies  of  victory.  No  sooner 
were  they  out  of  sight  than  a  council  of  war  was  held, 
and  a  decision  to  conquer  them  agreed  upon.  The 
war  bonnets  were  donned,  the  dog  sacrificed,  and 
every  preparation  made  for  a  raid  into  the  enemy's 
country ;  but  a  Seneca  woman  who  had  been  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Eries  some  years  before,  apprised 
the  great  chiefs  of  her  nation  of  the  intended  attack. 

In  this  way  the  Eries  were  in  turn  surprised  and 
defeated  in  their  last  game  with  their  rivals.  Only  a 
few  of  their  warriors  were  left  to  bear  the  hateful 
news  to  the  women  and  old  men  who  were  waiting  in 
the  wigwams:  and  these  with  their  allies,  terribly 
punished  as  they  had  been  in  the  encounter,  were 
driven  by  their  infuriated  enemies  beyond  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  Senecas,  who  proudly  called  themselves 


THREE  DAYS  AT  BUFFALO.  103 

the  western  gate-keepers  of  the  "  Long  House,"  made 
a  settlement  near  Buffalo,  to  which  they  gave  the 
musical  name  of  Te-you-seo-wa,  the  place  of  bass- 
wood,  having  found  there  huts  covered  with  basswood 
bark,  the  remnants  of  some  lately  abandoned  village. 
This  settlement  was  not  as  near  the  lake-front  as  the 
city  now  is,  but  was  cautiously  laid  out  -farther  back 
from  shore  to  prevent  surprise.  Here  the  young 
braves  found  a  favorite  hunting-ground,  and  were 
wont  to  conceal  themselves  near  the  salt  springs  that 
bubble  up  from  the  border  of  the  creek,  to  await  the 
buffaloes,  which  came  there  in  herds.  There  has 
been  some  dispute  as  to  the  naming  of  the  city,  and 
the  possibility  of  the  American  bison  having  fre- 
quented this  part  of  the  country,  but  it  is  generally 
believed  that  herds  of  these  herbivorous  animals  did 
graze  on  Eastern  soil,  and  that  the  attacks  of  carniv- 
orous beasts  and  the  constant  warfare  waged  against 
them  by  the  Indians  drove  them  to  the  Western 
plains. 

Nearly  two  centuries  ago,  when  the  site  of  the 
present  city  was  still  a  wilderness  through  whose 
tangled  labyrinths  Indian  eyes  peered  out  over  the 
gleaming  waters  of  the  lake,  La  Hontan  penetrated 
these  western  wilds,  and  suggested  to  his  sovereign 
the  building  of  a  fort  here,  as  a  safeguard  against  the 
Iroquois. 

We  see  almost  instinctively  the  scenes  which  he 
saw  as  we  follow  him  through  lake  and  stream — the 
great  falls  sparkling  beneath  an  August  sun,  their 
wild  surroundings  unmarred  and  untrodden  save 
by  moccasined  feet ;  the  rapids  and  then  the  river, 
to  whose  current,  farther  up,  he  trusted  his  boat. 


194         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

But  it  was  not  until  long  after  this  that  the  sound  of 
the  woodman's  axe  was  heard  in  the  forests  at  the 
foot  of  Lake  Erie,  when  the  pioneer  had  come  to 
make  his  home,  and  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  future 
city. 

One  after  another  crude  cabins  were  raised,  and  in 
turn  were  replaced  by  more  comfortable  houses,  so 
that  in  1813  the  settlement  was  large  enough  to  make 
quite  a  bonfire  for  the  British  and  their  dusky  allies. 
The  events  which  took  place  at  Buffalo,  connected 
with  this  war,  were  singularly  exciting;  and,  although 
there  were  brave  hearts  and  stout  arms  ready  to  de- 
fend their  country,  we  cannot  but  regret  the  peculiar 
circumstances  which  led  to  the  general  havoc  here. 

Historians  have  gleaned  such  glowing  descriptions 
from  those  who  were  either  witnesses  or  participants 
in  these  stirring  scenes,  that  we  cannot  fail  to  be 
moved  by  them. 

The  night  surprise,  in  the  woods,  near  Black  Rock, 
when  the  American  troops  were  suddenly  greeted  by 
ambushed  Britons :  the  rout  which  followed  when 
the  terrified  horsemen  dashed  back  in  retreat  through 
the  ranks  of  the  infantry,  demoralizing  them  in  turn, 
is  so  vividly  drawn  that  it  has  the  reality  of  later  times. 
Afterwards  when  the  alarmed  people  heard  the  cry 
that  the  British  were  coming,  and  we  see  them  in  con- 
fused masses  trying  to  escape  with  their  household 
goods,  we  sympathize  with  their  terror  as  they  saw  in 
the  distance*  the  dreaded  Indian  jogging  towards  them 
with  club  and  hatchet. 

It  was  then  that  Job  Hoysington,  who  was  with 
one  of  the  retreating  parties,  lingered  behind  his  com- 
panions, saying  that  he  would  have  "  one  more  shot  at 


THREE  DAYS  AT  BUFFALO.  195 

the  Red  Skins."  He  evidently  did  have  the  coveted 
chance,  and  so  did  the  enemy,  for  when  the  snow 
melted  in  the  spring  the  brave  fellow  was  found  with 
his  empty  musket  at  his  side,  and  a  bullet  through 
his  brain.  The  work  of  vengeance  had  been  completed 
with  the  scalping-knife.  At  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Niagara  streets  an  old  twelve-pounder  stood.  As  the 
imposing  column  of  British  infantry  were  advanc- 
ing upon  the  town,  a  patriotic  citizen  had  the  gun 
mounted  and  two  shots  fired  into  the  ranks.  He 
afterwards  met  the  enemy  with  a  flag  of  truce — a 
handkerchief  tied  to  his  cane — and  requested  a  halt. 

This  was  granted,  and  a  parley  begun,  while  the 
townspeople  were  escaping. 

The  firing  of  the  houses  and  the  plundering  of 
them  by  the  Indians  followed.  Buffalo  rose,  however, 
from  her  ashes  full  of  new  life  and  ambition,  and 
much  improved  in  appearance.  Her  firesides  were 
again  the  scene  of  happy  security,  and  her  women, 
lately  fugitives,  fleeing  in  terror  from  fire  and  sword, 
were  again  the  social  inspirations  of  a  thriving  com- 
munity. More  than  this,  they  were  contributing  to 
the  enterprises  of  the  city,  for  in  1821  between  three 
and  four  thousand  yards  of  cloth  were  woven  in  the 
homes  of  Buffalo! 

The  Erie  Canal  being  completed  in  1822,  and  com- 
merce beginning  in  earnest,  no  doubt  took  away  from 
the  importance  of  the  spinning-wheel  and  loom,  for 
these  busy  little  machines  of  the  past  have  been  stored 
away  in  the  garrets  long  enough  to  make  them  well- 
seasoned  relics.  Housewifely  attention  at  this  time 
had  to  be  turned  to  the  management  of  larger  estab- 
lishments, for  Buffalo  had  far  outgrown  her  infancy, 


196         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

and  was  assuming  certain  new  conceits  in  architecture, 
although  she  has  never  equalled  the  splendor  of  other 
large  cities  in  her  public  buildings.  The  new  City 
and  County  Hall  approaches  more  nearly  to  the 
modern  idea,  and  is  very  attractive  within  and  with- 
out. It  is  built  of  Maine  granite  in  the  form  of  a 
double  Roman  cross,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  lofty 
tower  bearing  four  symbolic  figures.  With  the  in- 
crease of  canal  and  railroad  traffic,  the  building  of  the 
immense  grain  elevators,  which  are  a  striking  feature 
of  Buffalo,  was  commenced. 

Their  number  and  size  have  been  increased  to  such 
an  extent  that  they  almost  make  a  town  in  them- 
selves and  are  capable  of  accommodating  eight  million 
bushels  of  grain.  The  incessant  work  of  storing  and 
transferring  is  carried  on  about  these  wooden  giants 
day  after  day,  sometimes  to  the  extent  of  more  than 
three  million  bushels,  while,  at  their  feet,  boats  come 
and  go  in  the  great  commercial  game  of  "give  and 
take."  There  is  every  facility  for  carrying  on  a  trade 
of  this  kind,  for  Buffalo  River  is  navigable  for 
more  than  two  miles  from  its  mouth,  which  is  pro- 
tected by  breakwaters  which  form  an  excellent  harbor, 
while  there  is  a  water-front  on  the  lake  and  the  Niagara 
River  five  miles  long.  In  1869,  the  United  States 
Government  began  the  construction  of  an  outside  har- 
bor, by  building  a  breakwater  4000  feet  long  fronting 
the  entrance  of  the  Buffalo  River. 

Overlooking  Buffalo  River  stand  the  office  build- 
ings whence  come  the  calculating  and  controlling 
influences  that  keep  in  "  clock  work  "  order  this  mart 
where  grain  is  "  received,  transferred,  stored  and  for- 
warded with  greater  dispatch  than  in  any  other  port  of 


THREE  DAYS  AT  BUFFALO.  197 

the  country."  Beyond  these,  in  the  heart  of  the  city, 
are  the  retail  and  wholesale  stores,  where  not  only 
Buffalo  finds  her  wants  supplied,  but  numberless 
sister  towns;  and  owing  to  her  close  proximity  to  the 
great  coal  region  of  Pennsylvania,  she  has  very  cheap 
fuel,  which,  no  doubt,  is  a  convenient  item  when  a 
"cold  wave"  conies  across  the  lake.  Her  iron 
works,  reputed  to  be  the  largest  in  the  country,  add  to 
her  general  good  fortune  by  putting  within  easy  ac- 
cess the  necessary  stoves. 

Besides  all  this  material  comfort,  the  climate  is 
extremely  healthful,  and  the  location  of  the  city  such 
as  to  make  clean,  wide  streets  a  possibility. 

There  are  several  of  these  lined  with  handsome 
residences,  and  adorned  with  parks,  which  are  wisely 
thought  to  be  an  indispensable  luxury. 

In  the  midst  of  the  business  hurry  there  are  several 
quiet  corners  where  one  may  quench  his  thirst  for 
knowledge,  and  where  master-thinkers  lend  their 
potent  influence.  One  of  these  is  the  Grosvenor 
Library,  the  munificent  gift  of  one  of  Buffalo's  pio- 
neers. It  is  admirably  arranged  for  convenience  and 
comfort,  and  has  a  pleasant  outlook  over  a  little  park 
between  Washington  and  Main  streets.  The  Library 
of  the  Young  Men's  Association,  although  containing 
nearly  twice  as-many  volumes  as  the  Grosvenor,  is  not 
so  largely  frequented,  but  is,  nevertheless,  a  great 
resort  for  readers.  There  are  also  a  number  of  smaller 
libraries,  where  eager  minds  may  have  their  fill  of 
books. 

Here  and  there  about  the  city  one  finds  the  familiar 
evidences  of  Christian  thought  and  work  in  the 
beautiful  tower-capped  churches,  each  with  its  own 


198          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

varied  attractions.  St.  Paul's  Cathedral — Episcopa- 
lian— a  handsome  structure  of  brownstone,  ivy-grown 
and  picturesque,  from  whose  walls  in  summer  comes 
the  sound  of  birds,  lies  almost  centrally  among  a  hun- 
dred others,  and  not  far  away  is  the  Roman  Catholic 
house  of  worship,  the  dignified  bit  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture which  they  have  named  St.  Joseph's. 

One  of  my  favorite  haunts  here  is  the  quiet,  carpetless 
"  Historical  Rooms,"  from  whose  walls  the  Indian  war- 
riors who  helped  make  Buffalo's  history  look  down  in 
unchanging  stolidity.  Not  least  among  these  is  Red 
Jacket,  who  forms  such  a  striking  figure  in  the  city's 
traditions.  An  amusing  incident  which  his  picture 
recalls  is  that  of  Lafayette  on  his  return  from  his  West- 
ern tour  in  1824.  Among  the  preparations  that  were 
being  made  for  his  reception  was  the  guarding,  by  an 
especial  committee,  of  their  " aboriginal  lion,"  who 
was  a  trifle  too  fond  of  his  "  firewater  "  and  who  was 
to  be  the  leading  orator  of  the  day.  When  the  ap- 
pointed time  arrived,  so  the  story  goes,  the  sachem 
was  led  upon  the  platform  in  all  his  conscious  dignity. 
A  long  conversation  between  him  and  the  great 
Frenchman  followed,  through  an  interpreter,  whom 
Red  Jacket  employed  upon  formal  occasions;  in  the 
course  of  which  the  Indian  complimented  the  General 
upon  his  youthful  appearance.  u  Time  has  left  you  a 
fresh  countenance,  and  hair  to  cover  your  head,"  said 
he,  "  while  as  for  me — see  !  "  and  he  took  off  the  scarf 
that  was  wound  about  his  own  bald  crown.  This 
provoked  a  laugh  among  the  spectators  who  knew 
that  Lafayette  wore  a  wig.  When  Red  Jacket  was 
made  aware  of  the  fact,  he  added  with  ready  wit  that 


THREE  DAYS  AT  BUFFALO.  199 

he  too  might  supply  himself  with  a  new  head  of  hair 
by  the  aid  of  a  scalping-knife ! 

Everything  upon  the  walls  and  in  the  cases  has 
been  donated  by  private  individuals,  as  the  society 
has  not  yet  been  able  to  make  valuable  purchases, 
but  there  is  enough  already  to  make  this  treasure- 
house  of  the  past  interesting,  lie  lies  from  pioneer 
times  figure  largely;  among  the  rest,  arrow-heads  and 
tomahawks,  pipes  and  belts  of  wampum,  adding  to  the 
odd  collection,  and  suggesting  all  manner  of  horrors 
to  those  who  delight  in  Indian  history. 

"  Forest  Lawn/7  the  place  which  Buffalo  has  se- 
lected for  her  dead,  is  a  most  lovely  spot,  the  loveliest 
<5f  its  kind  between  Brooklyn's  Greenwood  and  Chi- 
cago. Everything  that  art  could  do  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  shrub  and  flower  has  been  added,  and  stands 
as  a  tribute  to  those  who  are  "lying  low"  and  as  a 
witness  to  the  faithful  thought  of  the  living.  It  is 
only  one  of  the  beautiful  tokens  of  devotion  which 
one  sees,  from  the  simple  epitaph  in  a  country  grave- 
yard in  the  East  to  the  solitary  resting-place,  high  in 
some  tree-top  of  the  West,  where  our  Red  Brother 
"sleeps  his  last  sleep." 

Adjoining  the  Cemetery  are  a  few  acres  of  woodland 
that  have  been  set  aside  for  a  kind  of  park.  On  warm 
summer  days  those  seeking  rest  and  pleasure,  come  to 
pay  their  respects  to  Dame  Nature,  who  makes  herself 
very  attractive  here.  But  this  is  only  one,  and  a 
comparatively  small  one,  of  the  various  resorts  where 
tired  humanity  may  drop  its  burden,  and  roam  at 
will.  So  Buffalo  has  her  grave  and  her  gay  side,  and 
her  business  side,  which  is  neither  grave  nor  gay, 
making  their  different  impressions  on  the  traveller's 

10 


200         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

eye,  and  combining,  as  a  whole,  in  a  very  pleasing 
effect.  She  has  made  and  will  make  some  very  strik- 
ing changes,  as  all  cities  of  consequence  do;  but 
changes  worthy  of  the  "  Queen  City  of  the  Lakes," 
who,  although  she  may  have  to  relinquish  her  title  to 
some  outstripping  sister,  may  always  hold  her  head 
high  with  conscious  importance.  She  is  still  the  third 
city  in  the  State  of  New  York  in  point  of  population. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BUFFALO   TO   CLEVELAND. 

Jbrta-fourtlj  SDug. 

North  Evans  Hotel, 
NORTH  EVANS,  NEW  YORK, 
June  23,  1876. 

had  been  ray  intention  to  leave  the 
"  Queen  City "  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  twenty -first,  but  I  was  delayed  by 
my  advance  agents,  who  required  more 
time  to  arrange  the  preliminaries  of 
my  lectures  between  Buffalo  and  Cleve- 
land. Babcock  went  forward  to  Dun- 
kirk, Farrington  to  Erie,  while  it  was 
decided  that  my  brother  should  accom- 
pany me  as  far  as  Angola.  There  were  other  reasons 
too,  for  a  longer  sojourn  at  Buffalo,  as  it  was  here  I 
met  my  wife  for~the  last  time  during  my  journey,  and 
we  had  decided  that  it  would  be  impracticable  to  meet 
again  before  my  return  from  San  Francisco.  While 
I  anticipated  a  pleasant  and  uninterrupted  journey,  she 
had  some  misgivings  as  to  my  ride  across  the  Plains, 
and  tried  at  the  last  to  dissuade  me,  but  I  was  sanguine 
of  the  outcome  and  thoroughly  determined  to  continue, 
at  any  odds,  a  journey  so  delightfully  begun.  At  eight 

(201) 


202         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

o'clock,  therefore,  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
second,  I  returned  the  parting  salute  of  my  wife  and 
friends,  and  rode  away.  Turning  into  North  Division 
street,  I  went  out  to  Main,  down  Main  to  Ohio,  and 
out  Ohio  to  the  Buffalo  Road.  Soon  after  passing  the 
city  limits,  I  saw  Lake  Erie,  and  leaving  the  highway 
rode  down  to  the  beach  and  into  the  water,  giving 
Paul  his  first  drink  from  the  great  inland  sea,  along 
whose  shores  we  were  to  spend  several  days,  and  in 
which*  I  and  my  faithful  friend  would  doubtless 
quench  our  thirst  many  times.  After  this  little  diver- 
sion I  pushed  forward  for  thirteen  miles  and  a  half, 
which  brought  us  to  'Lake  View.  After  stopping 
here  a  few  moments  I  rode  on  to  North  Evans.  In 
this  little  village  of  something  over  a  hundred  in- 
habitants, my  peace  was  in  no  wise  disturbed  and  I 
was  able  to  pass  the  -day  in  comparative  seclusion, 
thinking  over  the  three  days  at  Buffalo  and  antici- 
pating the  journey  to  Cleveland. 


lort^ftftl) 

Angola  House, 

ANGOLA,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Twenty-fourth. 

The  ride  from  North  Evans  to  Angola  was  most 
delightful,  carrying  me  as  it  did,  along  the  shore  of 
Lake  Erie,  which  for  the  most  part  was  plainly  seen 
from  the  turnpike.  The  exhilarating  breeze  from 
over  the  water  was  in  pleasing  contrast  to  the  intense 
heat  which  was  felt  in  Central  New  York,  and 
I  found  my  appetite  sharpening  under  its  brisk  in- 
fluence. The  eye  had  a  continual  feast  of  lake  and 
field  stretching  off  on  either  side,  and  as  I  rode  along 


BUFFALO  TO  CLEVELAND.  203 

enjoying  their  diverse  beauties,  my  only  regret  was 
that  I  had  no  companion  at  this  time  with  whom  I 
might  share  the  pleasure. 

To  my  right  lay  the  shining  lake,  reflecting  every 
change  of  cloud  and  sky  ;  in  front  the  Shore  Road, 
and  to  my  left  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  rich 
green  fields  returning  the  salutation  of  sunny  June. 
Easy  travelling  brought  me  into  Angola  in  the  early 
morning,  as  it  is  only  six  miles  from  North  Evans. 
Here  an  unfortunate  circumstance  is  identified  with  the 
name  of  the  town,  owing  to  a  serious  railroad  disaster 
that  occurred  some  years  ago,  in  which  many  lives 
were  lost ;  but  one's  attention  is  easily  diverted  from, 
such  thoughts  upon  entering  the  town.  Several  manu- 
factories give  it  a  wide-awake  tone,  and  keep  a  good 
share  of  its  five  hundred  inhabitants  busy. 

A  small  stream,  known  as  Big  Sister  Creek,  runs 
through  the  place  and  thence  winds  its  way  to  the 
lake,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant.  This  "Big 
Sister  "  adds  a  pretty  touch  to  the  matter-of-fact  little 
village,  while  its  pebbly  bed  is  a  charmed  spot  for 
young  Angolans.  Soon  after  my  arrival  here,  J.  S. 
Parker,  formerly  of  Northern  New  York,  called  to 
see  me,  and  I  discovered  that  he  knew  many  of  my 
old  acquaintances  in  St.  Lawrence  County.  An  hour 
was  spent  in  pleasant  conversation  with  him,  during 
the  course  of  which  boyhood  days  at  Gouverneur  and 
along  the  Oswegatchie  were  discussed.  I  strolled 
about  town  in  the  afternoon,  looking  for  "characteris- 
tics," and  in  the  evening  lectured  in  the  Town  Hall, 
the  introduction  being  made  by  Leroy  S.  Oatman. 


204         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Jortg-sktl)  anb  jFortg-seDentl)  Ela^s. 

Eastern  Hotel, 

DUNKIRK,  NEW  YORK, 

June  25  &  26. 

The  road  between  Angola  and  Dunkirk  led  me 
through  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and  productive 
counties  of  the  State,  which  at  this  time  promised  well 
for  the  haymakers  who  were  busy  in  their  ripened 
fields.  Hitherto  the  successive  and  varied  scenes 
along  my  route  had  in  turn  won  my  admiration,  from 
the  pleasant  ride  across  Massachusetts  and  over  the 
Berkshires  to  the  Mohawk  Valley  and  Western  New 
York,  but  these  grain  fields  in  their  golden  harvest- 
time  and  the  glimpses  of  the  lake  which  the  tortuous 
course  of  the  road  now  and  then  afforded,  were  cer- 
tainly as  lovely  as  anything  I  had  seen  thus  far. 
I  had  noticed  that  the  haying  season  was  well 
advanced  when  I  was  passing  through  Central  New 
York,  but  owing  to  the  retarding  influence  which  a 
large  body  of  water  always  exerts  over  vegetation,  it 
had  been  delayed  here.  Fourteen  miles  through  this 
pretty  section  of  Erie  and  Chautauqua  counties 
brought  me  to  Dunkirk,  where  I  lectured  at  Columbus 
Hall  in  the  evening,  and  was  introduced  to  my 
audience  by  Eev.  J.  A.  Kummer.  The  following 
day  being  Sunday,  I  had  another  opportunity  of 
meeting  this  gentleman,  as  he  kindly  accompanied  me 
in  the  morning  to  the  Methodist  Church,  of  which  he 
was  pastor.  During  the  services,  in  which  I  found 
myself  very  much  interested,  there  was  an  opportune 
moment  to  study  a  character  which  I  found  to  be  a 
thoroughly  original  one.  Mr.  Kummer  was  very 


BUFFALO  TO  CLEVELAND.  207 

enthusiastic  about  the  building  of  a  new  church 
which  was  much  needed,  and  had  been  trying  to 
fire  his  parishioners  with  the  zeal  which  he  him- 
self felt.  On  this  particular  morning  he  made  an 
appeal  for  co-operation  and  funds,  and  then  asked 
for  a  generous  oifering.  The  good  people  of  the 
congregation  had  hardly  wanned  to  the  subject,  and 
their  response  was  rather  feeble.  Another  collection 
was  made  with  somewhat  better  results,  but  still  the 
amount  was  not  raised  by  half.  At  last  Mr.  Kumraer, 
who  no  doubt  believed  that  the  end  justified  the 
means,  faced  his  people  and  said  playfully,  yet  with 
evident  determination,  "  Now  I  am  going  to  order 
the  doors  bolted,  that  none  may  leave  the  house  until 
this  matter  is  settled  !  "  In  less  than  ten  minutes  the 
two  thousand  dollars  necessary  was  obtained  by  dona- 
tion or  subscription,  and  the  zealous  clergyman  looked 
down  upon  his  people  in  happy  approval.  The  scene 
was  the  most  unusual  one  of  the  kind  which  I  had 
ever  witnessed,  and  I  was  tempted  to  applaud  the 
generalship  which  won  the  situation.  Dr.  Kummer 
afterward  gave  me  quite  a  lively  description  of  his 
field,  in  which  he  had  become  much  interested. 

Lying  on  rising  ground  just  within  a  little  bay,  at 
whose  western  extremity  a  lighthouse  stands,  Dun- 
kirk forms  a  natural  port  of  refuge  in  bad  weather, 
and  although  in  comparison  with  Buffalo  its  commercial 
importance  seems  rather  insignificant,  there  is  quite  a 
brisk  trade  carried  on  by  ship  and  by  rail.  Three 
lines  centre  here,  connecting  it  with  the  East  and 
West,  and  with  the  conl  and  oil  regions  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, while  the  incoming  and  outgoing  vessels  are 
continually  plying  back  and  forth  with  their  valuable; 


208         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

cargoes.  In  fact,  as  I  soon  discovered,  my  clerical 
friend  was  not  too  severe  in  demanding  a  sum  for  his 
new  church  which  the  people  must  have  been  well 
able  to  contribute. 


Minton  House, 

WESTFIELD,  NEW  YORK, 

June  Twenty-seventh. 

Continued  on  the  Shore  Road  from  Dunkirk, 
having  left  that  city  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
While  stopping  a  few  minutes  for  dinner  at  Fredonia, 
a  pretty  little  village  three  miles  from  Dunkirk,  I 
saw  for  the  first  time  during  my  journey  quite  exten- 
sive vineyards.  The  region  is  famous  besides  for  its 
garden  seeds,  hence  the  people  have  their  share  of 
fruit  and  vegetables.  Found  the  farmers  of  this 
entire  section  largely  engaged  in  fruit  culture,  which 
seems  to'  be  a  very  successful  enterprise.  Apples 
and  grapes  are  sent  away  to  other  points,  and  no 
doubt  supply  in  a  measure  the  breweries  and  distill- 
eries of  Dunkirk.  In  looking  at  the  handsome  vines 
already  borne  down  by  heavy  burdens,  the  thought 
occurred  to  me  of  the  currupt  uses  to  which  they 
would  be  put,  and  the  havoc  they  would  bring  into 
human  lives.  The  great  bunches,  not  yet  ripe,  but 
promising  a  splendid  harvest,  looked  tempting 
enough  to  one  who  had  only  seen  them  on  fruit 
stands,  or  in  market  thrown  together  in  unartistic 
confusion. 

Reached  Westfield  in  the  evening,  having  made 
twenty-two  miles  for  the  day.  Owing  to  my  late 


BUFFALO  TO  CLEVELAND.  209 

arrival,  I  saw  very  little  of  the  place,  but  under- 
stand that  it  has  quite  large  manufacturing  interests, 
a  lively  trade,  two  good  schools  for  its  young  people: 
and  that  unfailing  sign  of  prosperity — a  newspaper. 
I  recalled  here,  another  Westfield,  many  miles  away  in 
Massachuetts,  which  I  passed  early  in  May.  The  two 
places  appeared  as  unlike  as  possible,  which  was  due, 
no  doubt,  to  one  being  in  the  "  Bay,"  and  the  other 
in  the  "  Empire  "  State,  which  some  travellers  will 
concede  makes  quite  a  difference. 

JbrtjMiiutt)  Stag. 

Haynes  House, 

NORTH-EAST,  PENNSYLVANIA, 
June  Twenty-eighth. 

Rode  away  from  Westfield  at  ten  in  the  morning, 
halting  just  beyond  the  village  at  the  pretty  home  of 
W.  N.  Allen,  where  I  passed  a  very  pleasant  half- 
hour.  r  While  looking  after  the  interests  of  a  large 
farm,  Mr.  Allen  and  his  family  were  very  much 
interested  in  art  matters,  and  showed  me  several  val- 
uable paintings  which  they  had  recently  purchased. 
I  was  delighted  to  find  such  refinement  and  taste,  for 
one  is  apt  to  believe  that  where  people  are  not  in 
direct  intercourse  with  congenial  elements,  they  are 
apt  to  lose  their  interest  in  the  arts.  As  I  looked 
over  their  well-kept  acres,  and  model  buildings,  I 
thought  of  the  influence  such  lives  must  exert  over 
the  community  in  which  they  are  passed.  On  my 
way  toward  North  East,  I  passed  again  through  a  fine 
fruit  region,  stopping  for  dinner  at  a  little  hamlet 
known  as  State  Line. 


210         OCEAN  TO  OCBAN  ON  HORSE&ACK. 

At  first  the  prospects  for  the  "  inner  man  "  looked 
rather  doubtful,  as  I  came  up  to  the  solitary  State 
Line  House,  but  a  few  moments'  search  brought  me 
to  the  landlord,  who  was  hoeing  in  a  cornfield,  and 
my  wants  were  soon  supplied.  By  five  o'clock  I  was 
riding  into  the  borough  of  North-East,  where  I  found 
a  number  of  people  awaiting  me.  Upon  dismount- 
ing, I  learned  that  I  was  announced  to  lecture  in  the 
Town  Hall  that  evening.  This  was  a  surprise,  but 
I  was  ready  to  comply.  The  village  band  escorted 
me  after  supper  to  the  hall,  taking  a  position  in 
front  of  the  audience, and  giving  us  "Hail  Columbia" 
before,  and  "  The  Sword  of  Bunker  Hill  "  after  the 
lecture.  The  hall  was  so  crowded  that  many  were 
compelled  to  stand,  and  if  hearty  applause  is  an 
evidence  of  satisfaction,  I  may  consider  my  effort 
to  entertain  the  North -Easters  a  success.  Captain 
Bronson  Orton,  a  lawyer  of  the  place,  made  the  in- 
troduction, and  I  afterwards  had  a  chat  with  him 
about  experiences  in  Georgia,  as  he  was  with 
Sherman's  army  during  its  march  from  Atlanta  to 
the  Sea,  and  was  quite  familiar  with  many  of  its 
incidents.  I  too  had  followed  the  great  strategist 
through  that  State,  although  in  a  very  different 
capacity ;  it  having  been  my  lot  to  drop  into  the 
rear  of  his  conquering  legions  during,  my  escape  from 
Southern  prisons.  The  trying  circumstances  which  I 
passed  through,  when  I  evaded  the  guard  at  Sylvania, 
the  cautious  tramps  by  day,  and  vigilance  by  night, 
in  the  friendly  swamps,  came  back  after  the  inter- 
vening twelve  years,  with  all  the  vividness  of  yester- 
day. I  related  my  experiences  with  the  negroes  and 


A  COTTAGE  ON   THE   HILLSIDE. 


BUFFALO  TO  CLEVELAND.  213 

meeting  with  good  old  March  Dasher,  who  led  .  me 
rejoicing  into  the  Federal  camp. 

None  of  the  events  of  those  exciting  days  escaped 
my  memory,  and  the  chance  of  talking  them  over, 
with  one  of  the  men  who  had  been  with  Sherman, 
was  a  rare  pleasure.  In  the  course  of  our  conversa- 
tion, we  touched  upon  Captain  Orton's  present  home, 
which  is  in  a  very  pretty  corner  of  the  "Keystone" 
State,  and  which  apparently  has  reached  the  golden 
mean  between  business  and  pleasure.  Its  residence 
portion  suggests  ideal  comfort,  while  its  office-build- 
ings and  stores  are  built  upon  a  substantial  and  con- 
venient plan. 


Jifttetf) 

Reed  House, 

ERIE,  PENNSYLVANIA, 

June  Twenty-ninth. 

Upon  my  arrival  at  Erie,  I  was  pleasantly  sur- 
prised to  find  a  letter  from  Colonel  F.  H.  Ellsworth, 
proposing  to  make  me  his  guest  at  the  Reed  House 
during  my  stay  in  that  city.  I  gladly  availed  my- 
self of  his  kind  invitation,  and  although  my  time 
there  was  necessarily  short,  I  had,  through  the 
thoughtful  interest  of  my  host,  every  opportunity  to 
see  the  city,  and  to  hear  something  of  its  development. 

Through  Erie,  Pennsylvania  comes  in  contact  with 
the  great  commercial  interests  of  the  Lakes,  and 
although  she  only  holds  a  small  share  of  the  valuable 
shore  line,  there  is  every  advantage  for  reaping  a 
large  benefit.  The  harbor  is  most  perfect,  being  pro- 
tected by  a  strip  of  land  known  as  "  Presque  Isle," 
and  which,  long  before  the  persistent  waves  wore 


214         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

away  its  southern  end,  was  connected  with  the  main- 
land. Two  lighthouses  stand  at  its  entrance,  and 
guide  the  night  traveller  to  one  of  the  prettiest  ports 
in  this  part  of  the  country,  while  from  the  bluffs  on 
which  the  town  is  built  shine  myriads  of  answering 
lights.  The  streets  are  wide  and  regular  and  lead  to 
many  handsome  homes,  which  they  say  will  bear  com- 
parison with  the  finest  on  the  Lakes.  Several  parks 
relieve  the  monotony  of  brick  and  stone,  and  add  to 
the  sightliness  of  the  place. 

Besides  her  present  importance  as  representative  of 
her  State  on  the  great  inland  seas,  Erie  has  had  her 
share  on  the  page  of  history  since  1795;  among  her 
proudest  annals  being  the  departure  from  her  port 
of  Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  who  went  in  1813  to  meet 
the  English  in  the  splendid  naval  action  which  has 
made  his  name  famous.  There  are  many  memorials 
of  this  engagement  among  the  city's  relics,  which 
bring  back  the  reality  of  those  stirring  times  more 
forcibly  perhaps  than  the  volumes  describing  them. 

Like  Buffalo,  Erie's  leading  enterprises  are  her  iron 
works,  where  stoves,  machinery  and  steam  engines 
are  made.  Large  quantities  of  coal  and  petroleum, 
the  contributions  from  Pennsylvania,  are  sent  here 
for  shipment,  and  form  a  good  share  of  the  varied 
products  which  make  their  way  through  the  large 
water  channels  to  different  parts  of  the  United 
States.  Her  educational  system  is  excellent  and  there 
are  nearly  half  a  hundred  public  schools,  which  offer 
quite  good  advantages  to  the  children  who  help  make 
her  population  of  nearly  twenty-five  thousand.  Erie 
undoubtedly  has  a  bright  future  before  her,  which  her 
rapid  increase  in  population  since  1870  predicts,  and 


BUFFALO  TO   CLEVELAND.  215 

she  may,  in  a  measure,  balance  the  power  in  the 
opposite  corner  of  the  State,  where  the  "  City  of 
Brotherly  Love"  reigns  supreme.  Having  seen  so 
much  of  the  place  as  time  would  allow,  and  heard  its 
story  from  those  who  knew  it  best,  I  ended  the  day 
by  lecturing  at  the  Academy  of  Music,  Hon.  C.  B. 
Curtis  introducing. 


Farm  House, 

SWANVILLE,  PENNSYLVANIA, 
June  Thirtieth. 

Passed  a  very  busy  morning  at  Erie  attending  to 
business  correspondence  with  advance  agents,  making 
notes,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Farrington 
brought  my  scrap-book  up  to  date.  I  called  also  upon 
a  few  old  acquaintances  whom  I  had  known  in  the  East, 
and  whose  faces  were  a  welcome  surprise  at  this  stage 
of  my^  journey.  The  editor  of  the  Erie  Dispatch 
called  after  dinner  and  spent  an  hour  with  me  in  a 
general  discussion  of  the  incidents  of  my  trip  since 
leaving  Boston,  which  had  been,  however,  more  pleas- 
ant than  exciting.  In  this  way  the  afternoon  slipped 
by,  and  it  was  not  until  five  o'clock  that  I  found 
myself  ready  to  leave  Colonel  Ellsworth's  hospitable 
roof.  Had  I  not  been  fully  determined  to  make 
some  headway  before  night,  the  cordial  request  of 
my  host  that  I  stay  longer  with  him  might  have 
dissuaded  me  at  the  last  from  starting  so  late,  but  I 
resisted  the  inclination,  and  having  bade  good-bye  to 
my  newly-made  friends  put  spurs  to  Paul,  who  soon 
carried  me  far  beyond  the  city  limits  on  the  road  to 


216         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Swanville.  I  had  long  since  learned  that  in  a  case 
of  this  kind,  the  charms  of  hospitality,  like  those  of 
Circe,  were  fatal  to  the  interests  of  him  who  heeded. 
Made  the  eight  and  a  half  miles  to  Swanville  in  fair 
time,  and  was  soon  settled  for  the  night  at  the  home 
of  John  Joseph  Swan,  an  old  resident  and  pioneer, 
after  whom  the  hamiet  is  named. 

JFtftrj-saonft  Slag. 

Farm  House, 
SWANVILLE,  PENNSYLVANIA, 

July  First. 

Was  compelled  to  remain  in  this  place  two  days  on 
account  of  my  lecture  appointment  for  Girard,  and 
was  singularly  fortunate  in  having  cast  my  lot  with 
the  Swans,  who  were  untiring  in  their  efforts  to  make 
my  stay  agreeable.  The  head  of  the  family  was 
eighty-three  years  old  and  quite  patriarchal  in 
appearance.  From  him  I  learned  something  of 
their  military  record,  which  reaches  over  quite  an  ex- 
tended period  of  our  country's  history,  and  which 
makes  a  noble  background  for  the  peace  and  comfort 
they  now  enjoy.  Mr.  Swan's  father  was  a  captain 
of  militia  in  pioneer  days,  and  his  son  Andrew  was 
a  lieutenant-colonel  of  cavalry  during  the  late  war. 
He  was  a  participant  himself  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
both  he  and  his  father  were  pensioners.  In  fact  they 
have  grown  up  with  the  country,  having  shared  its 
trials  and  its  triumphs.  Mr.  Swan  was  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  in  -Erie  County,  and  although  more 
than  half  a  century  had  passed  since  he  had  settled 
there,  this  veteran  still  remembered  and  vividly  de- 


BUFFALO   TO   CLEVELAND.  217 

scribed  the  scenes  and  events  of  those  stirring  times. 
He  saw  the  first  steamer  launched  on  the  lake  and 
said  it  was  regarded  as  an  evil  omen  by  the  Indians, 
who  called  it  "  The  Devil's  Canoe  "  and  who  ran 
frightened  from  the  shore  at  its  approach.  His 
stories  were  most  amusing,  and  their  personal  narra- 
tion gave  them  a  freshness  which  was  untiring. 
While  I  was  with  these  people,  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  Miss  Eliza  Swan,  a  talented  daughter  of 
the  family,  who  had  just  returned  from  Paris,  where 
she  had  been  studying  under  Jules  Le  Fevre,  the 
well-known  painter.  Among  her  better  productions 
I  was  especially  pleased  with  her  portrait  from  life 
of  an  old  man,  for  which  she  was  awarded  a  medal  by 
Peter  Cooper. 

Jiftg-tljirir 


Central  House. 
GIRARD,  PENNSYLVANIA, 

July  Second. 

Took  a  walk  with  Mr.  Swan  over  his  farm  in  the 
morning,  looking  at  his  stock  and  grain  and  quietly 
admiring  the  thrift  and  enterprise  everywhere  appar- 
ent. The  comfort  and  refinement  of  these  country 
homes  had  made  a  strong  impression,  and  I  became 
quite  enthusiastic  over  the  American  farmer.  My 
host  took  especial  pleasure  in  showing  me  the  changes 
which  half  a  century  had  wrought  upon  his  premises, 
and  which  certainly  were  surprising.  It  was  difficult 
to  realize  that  the  fields  we  were  looking  over  had, 
within  the  memory  of  my  companion,  been  trans- 
formed from  a  wilderness  to  cultivated  acres.  While 


213         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

we  were  walking  about,  the  sky  became  clouded  and 
by  noon  a  torrent  of  rain  deluged  Swanville.  Owing 
to  this  caprice  of  the  elements,  I  was  unable  to  leave 
until  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Made  the  six 
miles  and  a  half  between  the  two  places  in  easy  time. 
As  I  rode  into  town  I  was  greeted  by  the  Girard 
Brass  Band,  which,  while  it  amused  me,  rather  sur- 
prised Paulj  who  during  our  "  triumphal  procession" 
to  the  Central  House  did  a  little  "dancing,"  greatly 
to  the  delight  of  the  onlookers. 

After  lecturing  at  the  Town  Hall  in  the  evening, 
where  I  was  introduced  by  Jacob  Bender,  editor 
of  the  Cosmopolite,  I  was  serenaded  at  my  hotel  by 
the  indefatigable  band,  which  certainly  made  me 
feel  welcome.  I  was  sorry  that  the  limitations  put 
upon  my  time  by  appointments  ahead  allowed  me  so 
small  an  opportunity  to  meet  the  people,  and  get  a 
better  idea  of  their  occupations.  I  should  have  liked 
to  visit  the  lumber  and  brick  yards,  which  are  the 
chief  enterprise,  but  was  obliged  to  content  myself 
with  only  a  "  cursory  glance,"  as  our  newspaper 
friends  say.  The  soil  of  the  region  is  almost  entirely 
composed  of  clay,  and  is  thus  peculiarly  adapted  to 
the  manufacture  of  brick. 


J iftg-fourtl) 


Fisk  House, 

ASHTABULA,   OHIO, 

July  Third. 


A  bright  sun  and  clear  blue  sky  gave  promise  of 
an  exceedingly  pleasant  day,  as  I  seated  myself  in 
the  saddle  at  Girard  at  eight  o'clock. 


BUFFALO  TO  CLEVELAND.  219 

Before  leaving  I  bade  good-bye  to  Mr.  Farringtou, 
who  had  been  with  me  from  Boston,  but  who  now 
found  it  necessary  to  return  to  his  home  at  Elmira, 
New  York,  owing  to  business  interests  there.  I 
regretted  exceedingly  his  retirement,  as  he  had  ren- 
dered invaluable  service  in  connection  with  my 
lectures,  and  had  been  a  most  genial  and  companionable 
fellow-traveller,  whenever  circumstances  brought  us 
together  along  the  route. 

I  found  the  people  everywhere  engaged  in  prepara- 
tions for  the  Centennial  Fourth,  which,  as  it  was  to  be 
one  of  our  greatest  holidays,  was  to  be  celebrated 
with  unusual  enthusiasm.  Owing  to  the  excitement 
which  prevailed,  and  to  the  fact  that  almost  every 
man  and  woman  was  employed  upon  some  active 
committee,  I  decided  to  waive  my  lecture  at  Ashta- 
bula,  and  enter  into  the  public  demonstration.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Fisher,  who  had  intended  introducing  me 
to  my  audience  at  this  place,  came  to  see  me  at  the 
Fisk  House  soon  after  my  arrival,  and  talked  of  the 
arrangements  that  were  being  made  for  the  morrow. 
In  the  evening  I  called  upon  Rev.  L.  W.  Day  and 
had  a  chat  with  him  about  Ash  tabula.  The  town 
is  the  capital  of  Ashtabula  County,  and  lies  at  the 
mouth  of  a  small  river  of  the  same  name,  in  the 
midst  of  a  good  farming  district.  The  principal 
products  are  wheat,  maple  sugar  and  those  of  the 
dairy.  The  chief  interests  of  the  town  are  its  manu- 
factures, which  I  understand  are  quite  important. 

As  in  all  such  towns,  the  population  is  varied. 
The  combination  of  the  farming  and  manufacturing 
elements  gives  a  decidedly  picturesque  aspect. 


220         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

lifto-fiftl) 


Farm  House, 

NEAR  PAINESVILLE,  OHIO, 
July  Fourth. 

This  day  has  been  indeed  the  greatest  holiday  in 
the  history  of  the  United  States.  Such  grand  prep- 
arations and  such  lavish  display  have  probably  never 
been  witnessed  before  on  this  continent,  and  although 
I  chanced  to  be  in  a  comparatively  obscure  corner  of 
the  Republic,  I  found  the  prevailing  sentiment  as 
deep  as  though  I  were  in  one  of  the  great  centres. 
I  doubt  if  there  was  sleep  for  anyone  during  the 
preceding  night,  for  the  wildest  excitement  was  mani- 
fested, and  the  dawn  of  the  Centennial  Fourth  was 
presaged  by  the  booming  of  cannon,  the  blowing  of 
engine  whistles,  the  ringing  of  bells  and  discharge  of 
firearms  of  every  conceivable  calibre  and  description. 

The  townspeople  were  stirring  at  an  early  hour,  and 
although  I  had  found  very  little  rest,  I  was  in  the 
saddle  by  nine  o'clock.  A  thunder-shower  overtook 
me  about  noon,  thanks  to  the  generous  use  of  gun- 
powder, and  I  took  shelter  under  a  tree,  from  whence  I 
was  invited  to  dinner  by  Daniel  Flower,  a  neighboring 
farmer.  With  him  and  his  family  I  passed  a  com- 
fortable hour,  and  then  moved  forward  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Painesville. 

Toward  evening  I  reined  up  in  front  of  an  invit- 
ing-looking house  —  a  feature  which  the  traveller 
soon  learns  to  observe  —  and  asked  one  of  the  farm 
hands  if  .  Mr.  Lee  was  at  home.  Before  the  man  had 
time  to  answer,  a  young  girl  came  running  down  the 


BUFFALO   TO  CLEVELAND.  223 

path  toward  the  gate,  saying,  "Are  you  Captain 
Glazier?"  I  acknowledged  that  I  was  that  humble 
person,  whereupon  Miss  Lee  asked  me  to  dismount 
and  '*  come  right  in,"  while  Jack  would  take  care 
of  the  horse.  Her  father  and  mother  had  gone  to 
Cleveland  in  the  morning,  to  celebrate  the  Fourth, 
and  were  expected  back  the  same  night.  The  little 
lady  insisted  upon  my  stopping  overnight,  and  bustled 
about  with  all  the  importance  of  a  housewife  in  pre- 
paring supper.  I  naturally  felt  some  hesitation  in 
accepting  her  invitation  to  remain  all  night,  but  she 
insisted  that  I  be  her  guest,  and  made  every  eifort 
to  amuse  me.  After  tea,  I  was  ushered  into  the 
parlor,  where  my  hostess  soon  joined  me,  saying 
that  I  was  her  "very  first  caller"  and  that  she  was 
going  to  entertain  me  "  the  best  she  knew  how." 
Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  she  took  her  place  at 
the  piano,  and  began  to  play  some  national  airs  suita- 
ble to  the  occasion ;  but  as  the  evening  slipped  away 
I  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  day's  ride,  and 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  retire.  This,  however,  the 
young  lady  seemed  at  first  disinclined  to  do,  asking 
me  to  wait  for  her  father  and  mother,  but  finally  I 
insisted  as  gently  as  possible ;  so  she  showed  me  to 
my  room  herself,  wishing  me  a  hearty  good-night. 
Dawn  was  ushered  in  by  the  rattling  of  milk  pans  and 
the  creaking  of  a  pump  under  my  window,  so,  know- 
ing that  further,  rest  was  out  of  the  question,  I 
dressed  and  went  downstairs,  where  I  met  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lee.  I  found  them  very  kindly  people,  and 
knew  that  their  daughter  had  inherited  from  them  her 
share  of  good  nature.  That  odd  little  miss  was  up 
at  the  first  cock-crow,  and  was  waiting  to  bid  me 


224          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

good-morning.  As  I  was  about  to  mount  Paul  after 
breakfast,  she  asked  the  privilege  of  a  ride  on  him, 
and,  bounding  into  the  saddle,  galloped  down  the  road 
with  the  grace  of  an  Indian.  When  she  bade  me 
goodbye  at  the  gate,  where  her  father  and  mother 
were  standing  to  see  me  off,  she  asked  me  in  her  un- 
sophisticated way  to  remember  her  as  my  "  Centennial 
girl,"  which  I  solemnly  promised  to  do,  and  as  I 
looked  back  from  the  road  I  could  see  her  waving 
her  handkerchief  as  a  parting  salute. 


Farm  House, 

NEAR  WICKLIFFE,  OHIO, 
July  Fifth. 

Starting  rather  late  from  Painesville,  a  town  just 
beyond  Mr.  Lee's,  and  riding  leisurely  during  the 
day,  I  found  it  necessary  to  keep  to  the  road  until 
dark,  in  order  to  place  myself  as  near  to  Cleveland 
as  possible,  before  halting.  Reached  Willoughby,  the 
seat  of  a  Methodist  College,  nineteen  miles  east  of 
Cleveland,  just-  before  sundown,  where  I  was  tempted 
to  stay  over  night,  knowing  that  to  ride  farther  would 
be  gloomy  and  uninteresting,  but  in  my  eagerness  to 
reach  the  "  Forest  City,"  towards  which  I  had  looked 
for  several  days,  I  pressed  forward. 

As  there  was  no  hotel  at  Wickliffe,  I  passed  through 
the  little  hamlet  of  that  name  and  secured  lodgings 
at  the  farm  house  of  Thomas  Lloyd,  an  old  settler  of 
Lake  County,  and  a  very  large  land-owner.  He  told 
me  the  history  of  his  pioneer  life  in  this  section  of 
Ohio,  and  of  his  start  in  the  pursuit  of  a  fortune, 


BUFFALO   TO  CLEVELAND.  227 

which  gave  me  a  bit  of  the  early  history  of  Ohio 
from  another  standpoint.  It  may  seem  odd  that  dur- 
ing the  "flying  visits"  which  I  sometimes  paid  to 
these  small  places,  there  was  opportunity  to  hear  any- 
thing about  them,  but  country  folk  are  accustomed  to 
early  rising,  and  as  I  learned  the  art,  years  ago,  of 
waking  with  the  birds,  I  very  often  joined  my  host, 
and  had  a  chat  with  him  before  breakfast.  The  set- 
tlement near  which  I  stayed  overnight  is  six  miles 
west  of  Willoughby,  which  brought  me  within  thir- 
teen miles  of  Cleveland.  It  boasts  of  nothing  more 
than  the  necessary  blacksmith  shop  and  "store,"  and 
"  looks  up  to  "  its  big  neighbor  with  due  reverence. 
It  lies  in  the  fertile  county  of  Lake,  a  northeastern 
corner  of  Ohio,  measuring  some  two  hundred  and 
sixty  square  miles,  of  which  a  large  portion  is  covered 
with  forest,  and  whose  surface  is  generally  hilly  or 
undulating. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

FIVE  DAYS   AT   CLEVELAND. 

>UND  a  good  night's  rest  at  the  quiet 
farmhouse  of  the  Lloyds,  on  the  night 
of  the  fifth,  and  after  an  early  breakfast 
on  the  following  morning  called  for  my 
horse  and  started  for  Cleveland.  On  my 
way  out,  near  Wickliffe,  I  overtook  a 
troop  of  girls  on  their  way  to  school. 
One  of  them,  a  bright-faced  little 
maid,  giving  her  name  as  Ettie  Warren, 
and  saying  she  was  a  granddaughter  of  Mr.  Lloyd, 
asked  me  to  accept  a  bouquet,  which  had  no  doubt 
been  intended  for  her  teacher.  It  was  a  mass  of 
gay  colors,  which  had  been  gathered  from  the  home 
garden,  and  its  huge  proportions  quite  appalled  me. 
However,  I  accepted  it  with  mock  gravity,  and  as  she 
and  her  small  companions  kept  beside  me,  I  could 
overhear  a  whispered  conversation  of  very  secret  im- 
port, which  resolved  itself  into  the  question,  "  Do  you 
like  apples,  mister?"  I  confessed  my  fondness  for 
the  fruit,  and  was  soon  the  chagrined  possessor  of  a 
pocketful  of  green  ones,  which  this  sunburned  little 
daughter  of  Eve  generously  offered.  Before  riding 
into  town  I  was  obliged  to  consign  these  gifts  to  the 
(228) 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  CLEVELAND.  229 

roadside,  but  not  without  a  certain  guilty  feeling,  and 
sympathy  for  the  cheated  school  ma'am. 

Passed  through  the  village  of  Mentor,  a  pleasant  lit- 
tle place  six  miles  from  Cleveland,  the  home  of  Hon- 
J.  A.  Garfield,  then  an  Ohio  Congressman. 

Noting  much  excitement  as  I  approached  Euclid, 
I  dismounted  to  learn  the  cause,  and  found  it  was  due  to 
a  rumor  that  General  Custer  and  his  entire  command 
had  been  massacred  by  Indians.  The  source  of  this  in- 
formation made  it  appear  reliable,  and  yet  compara- 
tively few  were  disposed  to  believe  it.  My  long  associa- 
tion with  the  General  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
led  me  to  take  the  thought  of  his  death  very  much  to 
heart,  although  I  was  yet  unwilling  to  credit  what  I 
had  heard.  At  the  Forest  City  House,  whither  I  had 
been  escorted  by  a  delegation  of  G.  A.  R.  friends,  the 
truth  of  the  report  was  discussed,  and  the  deepest 
regret  manifested,  should  such  a  fate  have  befallen  the 
brave  cavalryman. 

In  the  evening  I  lectured  at  Garrett's  Hall,  where 
Major  E.  M.  Hessler  introduced  me.  Later,  in  behalf 
of  a  number  of  citizens,  the  Major  proposed  a  ban- 
quet in  my  honor,  but  this  I  felt  justified  in  declining, 
owing  to  imperative  duties  in  connection  with  my  jour- 
ney. The  rest  of  my  time  here  was  passed  in  looking 
about  the  city,  and  in  talking  with  some  of  the  "  Forest 
City"  people,  who  are  pardonably  proud  of  their 
home  on  Lake  Erie.  This  part  of  the  State  was  a  great 
hunting-ground  for  the  Indiar.o  in  former  days,  who 
came  to  make  war  on  the  bear  and  beaver.  They 
started  eastward  in  the  autumn  and  paddled  down 
the  lake,  entire  villages  at  a  time,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Cuyahoga  River,  on  whose  banks  they  piled  their 


230         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

birch  canoes  and  then  scattered  through  the  neighbor- 
ing forests.  Returning  in  the  spring  to  a  small  cabin 
which  had  been  built  near  their  landing-place  by  the 
Northwestern  Fur  Company,  they  disposed  of  their 
spoils,  and  when  their  business  with  their  white 
brothers  was  over,  re-embarked  for  their  summer 
homes  on  the  Maumee  and  Sandusky. 

When  General  Moses  Cleveland  came  with  a  sur- 
veying party  in  1796  to  lay  out  the  site  of  the  chief 
city  of  the  "  Reserve "  for  the  Connecticut  Land 
Company,  the  cabin  of  the  fur-traders  was  still  stand- 
ing, but  was  in  too  dilapidated  a  condition  to  be  of 
use.  Two  more  cabins  were  therefore  raised,  one  for 
the  party,  and  the  other  for  Job  Stiles,  and  his  wife 
Tabitha,  who  was  housekeeper.  When  the  plans 
were  finished  the  woman  of  the  settlement  found  her- 
self the  possessor  of  one  city  lot,  one  ten-acre  lot,  and 
one  one  hundred-acre  lot,  a  donation  from  the  di- 
rectors and  stockholders  of  the  company,  made  no 
doubt  in  consideration  of  her  services,  and  from  the 
fact  that  she  was  the  first  white  woman  to  take  up  her 
abode  on  the  new  ground.  Two  more  gifts  of  the 
valuable  land  were  made,  one  to  Nathaniel  Doane,  the 
company's  blacksmith,  who  had  kept  their  pack-mules 
shod,  and  the  other  to  James  Kingsbury  and  his  wife, 
the  first  who  emigrated  independently  to  the  Reserve. 
Within  eighty  years  the  worth  of  this  property  had 
increased  surprisingly,  but  the  first  owners  had  long 
since  ceased  to  care  tor  worldly  goods,  and  the  land 
had  been  resold  many  times.  Buildings  that  would 
have  astonished  those  early  folk  had  replaced  their 
simple  cabins,  and  thousands  of  strange  feet  were 
treading  in  their  old  haunts. 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  CLEVELAND.  231 

For  several  years,  in  fact  until  the  opening  of  the 
Ohio  Canal  in  1834,  the  population  of  Cleveland  in- 
creased very  slowly.  A  year  after  the  survey,  the 
homes  "  under  the  hill  "  along  the  right  bank  of  the 
Cuyahoga  had  to  be  removed  to  the  ridge,  for  even  at 
that  time  fever  and  ague  began  to  trouble  the  settlers. 
This  disagreeable  malady,  wittily  personified  as  "  Ague- 
agueshakershake," — the  God  of  Lake  Erie — was  a 
continual  bugbear  and  made  yearly  attacks  upon 
the  families.  So  widespread  was  the  reputation  it  had 
gained  that  a  stranger  stopping  at  Buffalo,  then  a  rival 
port,  was  told  that  if  he  went  to  Cleveland  he  "  would 
not  live  over  night."  On  the  highlands  the  expo- 
sure was  much  less,  and  soon  all  the  cabins  were  built 
there.  Then  they  began  to  spread  out  along  the  ridge 
toward  the  east,  in  the  direction  of  Euclid,  following 
the  line  of  the  Euclid  Road,  which  even  then  was  a 
popular  place  on  which  to  have  a  section  and  build. 
In  1801,  the  first  well  in  Cleveland  was  dug  on  this 
thoroughfare,  and  was  walled  in  with  stones  which 
the  Indians  had  left  from  their  wigwam  fireplaces. 
Two  years  later  Connecticut  ceded  her  Western  Re- 
serve, which  she  had  held  under  an  old  charter,  to  the 
General  Government  and  the  chief  city  transferred 
her  allegiance  to  the  new  State  of  Ohio. 

Gradually  the  settlement  spread  out  into  the  sur- 
rounding country,  where  ambitious  hamlets,  having 
enjoyed  their  brief  season  of  independence,  ulti- 
mately cast  their  fortune  with  the  larger  city,  and  be- 
came a  sharer  in  its  triumphs.  One  of  these,  which 
had  attained  more  importance  than  the  rest,  had 
started  up  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Cuyahoga,  and 
assumed  the  bravado  of  a  rival.  Cleveland  made 


232        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

several  advances  to  her  which  were  met  with  coolness, 
and  at  last  both  villages  applied  for  charters;  the  one 
on  the  left  bank  receiving  hers  first  and  glorying  in 
her  new  name  of  "Ohio  City."  Again  Cleveland  be- 
sought a  conciliation  and  tried  to  persuade  the  inde- 
pendent little  rival  neighbor  to  change  her  name,  and 
become  one  with  her,  but  witli  ill  success.  As  time 
wore  on,  however,  population  decreased  on  the  left 
shore  and  increased  on  the  right,  and  signs  of  union 
became  apparent  from  the  fact  that  "  Ohio  City " 
reached  out  to  the  southeast,  while  Cleveland  met  her 
half-way  by  extending  toward  the  southwest.  We  are 
not  sure  how  matters  were  arranged  between  the  two 
rivals  when  the  final  step  was  taken,  but  at  any  rate  it 
was  a  felicitous  event,  and  now  that  the  coveted 
neighbor  has  become  the  West  Side,  some  Cleve- 
landers  find  it  difficult  to  determine  which  is  the 
«  better-half." 

In  those  early  days  before  the  railroads  reached  her, 
this  new  Ohio  town  was  obliged  to  look  about  for 
other  means  of  transportation,  and  we  hear  of  one  of 
her  pioneers  establishing  a  boat  yard  in  the  woods  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  lake.  Here  the  engineer 
cut  his  timber  and  carried  out  his  plan  for  the  first 
boat  built  at  Cleveland.  The  framework  was  raised 
in  a  clearing  of  the  forest,  from  whence  a  rough  road 
led  to  the  water,  and  in  this  wild  but  convenient  spot 
the  schooner  was  finished,  and  ready  to  be  introduced 
to  the  world  as  "  The  Pilot."  The  farmers  of  the 
surrounding  country  were  invited  to  assist  in  the 
launching  and  accordingly  came  into  town  on  the  all- 
important  day,  with  their  oxen,  to  haul  the  craft  down 
to  the  shore.  The  ceremony  was  greeted  with  re- 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  CLEVELAND.  233 

Bounding  cheers,  and  Levi  Johnson  received  his  first 
congratulations  from  his  fellow-townsmen.  This  was 
in  1814.  He  afterwards  built  a  steamboat  and  gave 
it  the  name  of  one  of  his  own  characteristic  traits, 
"  Enterprise." 

In  1816,  although  the  itinerant  preachers  who  had 
visited  the  place  would  scarcely  have  credited  it,  a 
church  was  organized  and  an  Episcopalian  form  of  wor- 
ship established,  which  later  grew  into  Trinity  Church 
and  Parish.  Hitherto  a  bugle  had  called  the  people 
together  when  a  clergyman  appeared,  and  the  most 
primitive  services  followed.  On  one  of  these  occa- 
sions, well-known  to  those  who  lived  in  Cleveland 
when  it  was  still  a  churchless  community,  Lorenzo 
Dow  was  announced  to  preach.  He  was  an  eccentric 
man  and  the  place  reputed  to  be  a  bad  one.  His  con- 
gregation, who  were  waiting  under  a  large  oak,  did 
not  recognize  the  solitary  figure  approaching  in  his 
shirt  sleeves,  and,  as  he  quietly  sat  upon  the  ground 
in  their~midst,  and  his  head  dropped  upon  his  knees  in 
silent  prayer,  one  in  the  crowd  enquired  if  he  were 
Lorenzo  Dow.  Some  one  answered,  "  Yes,"  but  an- 
other irreverently  said  in  an  undertone,  "  It's  the  devil." 
Dow  overheard  the  remark,  and  rising,  preached  to 
his  hearers  such  a  sermon  on  Gehenna  that  they  never 
forgot  it,  or  him. 

In  1821,  the  "Academy"  became  an  institution,  and 
began  a  course  of  instruction  upon  a  very  liberal 
basis,  giving  its  pupils  the  full  course  for  four  dollars 
a  term,  and  separate  branches  for  much  less. 

In  the  year  1836  the  city,  was  incorporated,  and 
with  the  new  honor  seems  to  have  looked  to  the  im- 
provement of  her  appearance.  The  public  square, 


234         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

which  had  previously  been  little  more  than  a  grazing- 
place  for  cows,  was  seriously  considered  as  a  possible 
ornament,  and  was  graded  and  made  more  attractive, 
until  now  it  bears  little  resemblance  to  the  common 
on  which  the  irrepressible  Indian,  "Omic,"  breathed 
his  last.  It  has  changed  its  name  since  then,  and  has 
become  "Monumental  Square,"  from  the  marble  statue 
of  Commodore  Perry,  which  adorns  its  southeastern 
corner.  A  good  view  of  the  liveliest  part  of  the  city 
can  be  had  from  here,  and  from  early  morning  until 
late  at  night  there  is  a  continuous  stream  of  people 
passing  through  it. 

Superior  street,  which  forms  its  southern  boundary, 
is  lined  with  retail  stores,  and  its  fine  buildings  and 
neat  pavements  hardly  suggest  the  indifferent  houses 
and  plank  road  of  forty  years  ago.  Ontario  is 
another  busy  thoroughfare  running  north  and  south, 
and  bisecting  the  square.  Where  it  begins,  at  Lakeside 
Park,  it  is  lined  with  private  residences,  but  beyond 
the  square  it  develops  into  a  genuine  work-a-day 
business  street.  In  1813  there  was  a  small  stock- 
ade on  the  lake  shore  just  below  it,  for  Cleveland 
was  a  depot  for  supplies,  and  was  waiting  to  give  a 
warm  reception  to  the  English.  Most  of  the  public 
buildings  are  on  or  near  the  square — the  Post  Of- 
fice, Custom  House,  City  Hall,  and  several  of  the 
churches.  Not  far  away  is  the  library  of  the  Young 
Men's  Literary  Association,  which  has  had  a  sin- 
gularly favored  career.  Established  in  1845  upo'n  a 
very  unpretentious  basis  in  the  Case  Building,  it  was 
soon  given  a  perpetual  lease  by  the  owner,  and  later 
received  a  large  sum  of  money  for  its  extension  and 
support  from  a  son  of  Mr.  Case.  The  Public  Library 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  CLEVELAND.  237 

is  located  in  the  old  High  School  Building  on  Euclid 
avenue  and  has  26,000  volumes  in  circulation.  The 
Board  of  Trade  is  another  of  the  city's  time-honored 
institutions,  having  been  founded  in  1848.  It  is  now 
in  the  Atwater  Building  on  Superior  street. 

Euclid  avenue,  which  from  its  rustic  popularity  in. 
pioneer  days,  came  to  bear  the  proud  distinction  of 
being  one  of  the  handsomest  streets  in  the  world, 
stretches  off  eastward  from  the  square,  for  four  and  a 
half  miles,  until  it  reaches  Wade  Park,  a  beautiful 
spot,  still  shaded  by  the  groves  and  forests  which  have 
been  left  from  the  wilderness.  It  was  a  gift  from  Mr. 
Wade,  one  of  Cleveland's  millionaires. 

From  this  point  the  avenue  continues  for  a  mile 
and  a  half  until  it  finds  its  terminus  in  Lake  View 
Cemetery,  a  magnificent  stretch  of  woodland  over- 
looking the  lake  from  a  height  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet. 

The  avenue  is  in  its  entire  length  a  feast  of  beauty. 
The  homes  that  line  it  on  either  side  are  fine  speci- 
mens of  architecture,  and  the  gardens  surrounding 
them  show  a  lavish  devotion  to  the  sweet  goddess 
Flora.  Thousands  of  people  who  are  unable  to  leave 
town  during  the  summer  find  a  grateful  change  of 
scene  here,  and  it  so  impressed  Bayard  Taylor  that  he 
bestowed  upon  it  the  splendid  praise  of  calling  it  the 
most  beautiful  street  in  the  world.  Nor  is  its  charm 
purchased  at  the  expense  of  squalid  surroundings,  for 
the  streets  of  Cleveland  are  well  kept  and  almost  all 
of  its  homes  have  their  little  gardens  around  them,  while 
the  tenement  house  is  "  conspicuous  by  its  absence." 
In  fact  the  people  have  chosen  rather  to  sacrifice  a 
trifle  more  to  time  and  expense  and  less  to  space. 


238         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

They  have  expanded  and  have  built  longer  street-car 
lines  in  proportion. 

The  old  eyesore  of  dilapidated  huts  and  rubbish 
heaps  along  the  river  and  lake  shore  was  soon  swept 
away  after  the* railroads  came,  and  a  fine  park  sub- 
stituted. The  undertaking  was  a  large  one,  but  it 
proved  to  be  well  worth  the  labor  and  money  expended 
upon  it,  and  is  now  one  of  the  city's  chief  adornments 
and  one  of  her  most  delightful  rendezvous. 

The  stranger,  as  he  nears  the  "  Forest  City  "  wearied 
with  his  travels  and  sensitive  to  his  surroundings, 
finds  nothing  to  meet  his  curious  gaze  but  a  neat  shore 
line  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  the  green  slope  of 
Lakeside  Park,  with  its  grottos  and  fountains,  and  an 
occasional  suggestion  of  graveled  walks.  The  top  of 
the  ridge  is  an  excellent  place  whereon  to  take  a 
morning  stroll,  and  get  a  good  breath  of  fresh  air,  and 
from  this  eminence  the  lines  of  the  five  railroads  which 
centre  here  can  be  seen  converging  towards  the  Union 
Depot,  where  a  large  portion  of  the  coal,  petroleum 
and  lumber  is  received  that  makes  its  way  from  dis- 
tant points. 

"  The  Flats  "  along  the  lake  and  river  fronts  are 
alive  with  business,  and  present  a  fascinating  scene 
from  some  overlooking  point.  There  are  factories,  ore 
docks  and  coal  and  lumber  yards  famous  the  country 
over,  and  water  craft  of  every  kind  and  size.  One  of 
the  most  important  enterprises  is  that  of  the  Cleveland 
Rolling  Mill  Company,  whose  buildings  occupy  thirty- 
two  acres,  and  whose  yearly  pay-roll  reaches  more 
than  $2,000,000.  On  the  West  Side  is  the  Cuyahoga 
Steam  Furnace  Company,  noted  for  having  manu- 
factured a  patent  horse-power  cannon  for  the  Govern- 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  CLEVELAND.  239 

ment,  and  for  having  turned  out  the  first  locomotive 
in  the  West.  The  great  Standard  Oil  Company,  begun 
in  the  sixties  and  later  developing  into  a  stock  com- 
pany under  its  present  name,  is  located  here,  and  its 
cars,  surmounted  by  the  familiar  white  keg,  are  seen 
on  almost  all  the  railroads  of  the  country. 

Out  from  the  river's  mouth  stretch  two  long  piers, 
two  hundred  feet  apart,  which  represent  the  final 
triumph  of  the  engineer  over  the  tides  which  have 
wrought  such  incessant  mischief  ever  since  a  certain 
captain  and  his  crew  were  delayed  in  the  harbor  of 
Cleveland  sixty  years  ago  by  a  sandbar.  There  is  a 
lighthouse  at  the  end  of  each  pier,  and  one  high  up  on 
the  shore  which  was  built  by  the  Government  in  1830 
at  a  cost  of  $8,000. 

Now,  through  this  inviting  gateway,  large  lake 
boats  steam  into  port  without  hindrance,  bringing 
with  them  the  rich  copper  and  iron  ores  of  Lake 
Superior,  the  limestone  of  the  Lake  Erie  Islands,  and 
the  miscellaneous  products  which  they  take  up  along 
their  route.  With  these  valuable  cargoes,  to  which 
have  been  attributed  much  of  her  prosperity,  Cleve- 
land receives  a  large  amount  of  coal  from  the  mines 
of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania,  having  access  to  the  latter 
through  the  Ohio  Canal,  which  has  been  such  an  im- 
petus to  her  growth. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  river  are  her  large  Water 
Works,  the  incessant  pumping  of  whose  engines  sup- 
plies this  city  of  140,000  inhabitants  with  water. 
The  Reservoir  lies  upon  the  top  of  a  cliff,  and  is  a 
favorite  resort  in  summer.  From  its  crest  a  fine  view 
of  lake  and  river  can  be  obtained,  and  if  one  were  to 
allow  his  imagination  a  little  freedom,  this  would  be 


240          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  most  satisfactory  place  to  get  a  retrospective 
view  of  Cleveland  as  it  was  to  the  pioneer.  About 
here  the  Indians  stayed  unmolested  long  after  they  had 
sold  their  land  to  the  white  man,  and  across  the  river 
on  the  slope  the  first  log  cabin  stood.  The  scene  which 
takes  its  place  is  almost  bewildering  with  its  network 
of  factories,  lake  and  river  craft  and  housetops.  Here 
and  there  a  dot  of  green  rises  above  the  buildings,  be- 
traying the  presence  of  the  elms  and  maples  which 
have  been  jealously  preserved  and  which  are  one  of 
the  characteristic  beauties  of  the  "Forest  City." 

During  my  stay  here,  nothing  was  more  gratifying 
than  a  walk  or  ride  through  the  broad  streets  in  the 
shade  of  these  trees.  It  made  summer  in  the  city 
something  to  stay  for,  and  not  something  to  run  away 
from.  There  were  many  drives  leading  out  beyond 
the  limits  daily  frequented  by  pleasure-seekers,  and 
inviting  out-of-the-way  places  for  those  who  were 
unable  to  go  elsewhere.  Beside  these,  the  lake? 
though  the  shallowest  in  the  chain  and  sometimes 
treacherous  on  that  account,  is  a  continual  clarifier  and 
beautiful  to  look  upon.  As  for  the  old-time  "God," 
and  his  attendant  maladies,  who  tyrannized  over  the 
pioneer,  they  seem  to  have  vanished,  and  now  I  ven- 
ture to  say  there  is  no  healthier  city  in  the  country 
than  Cleveland  and  certainly  none  more  attractive. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CLEVELAND  TO  TOLEDO. 


Lampman  House, 

BLACK  RIVER,  OHIO, 

July  11,  1876. 

|T  eight  o'clock,  ray  favorite  hour  for  be- 
ginning a  day's  ride,  I  mounted  Paul  in 
front  of  the  hotel  at  Cleveland,  but  before 
leaving  the  city  I  stopped  at  Major  Hess- 
ler's  office  to  hand  him  the  proceeds  of 
my  lecture  at  Garrett's  Hall,  which  were 
donated  to  the  Soldiers'  Monument  Fund 
at  Dayton.  This  brought  me  two  very 
kind  acknowledgments:  one  from  General 
James  Barnett,  who  forwarded  the  money,  and  the 
other  from  Rev.  William  Earnshaw,  custodian  of  the 
Monument  Fund.  These  letters,  written  in  behalf  of 
three  thousand  disabled  veterans,  amply  satisfy  me 
for  any  sacrifice  I  may  have  made,  and  are  among  my 
most  prized  possessions.  General  Barnett  wrote  as 
follows : 

Headquarters 
Post  No.  1,  Department  of  Ohio,  G.  A.  R.t 

CLEVELAND,  July  12.  1876. 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

COMRADE  :  Through  your  unsolicited  generosity  I  have  the  pleasure 
to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  net  proceeds  of  your  lecture  on 
12  (243) 


244         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

"Echoes  from  the  Revolution,"  delivered  in  our  city  July  6,  1876, 
and  by  your  direction  have  forwarded  the  amount  to  Chaplain  Wil- 
liam Earnshaw,  President  of  the  "  Soldiers'  Home  Monument 
Fund,"  at  Dayton,  to  assist  in  erecting  a  monument  to  the  memory 
of  the  veterans  who  by  the  fortunes  of  war  await  the  long  roll  at  the 
National  Military  Home,  and  may  your  reward  be  no  less  than  the 
love  and  gratitude  of  our  unfortunate  comrades. 
By  order  of 

GENERAL  JAMES  BARNETT,  Commanding. 
E.  M.  HESSLER,  Quartermaster. 

There  are  certain  results  following  every  under- 
taking which  are  looked  upon  either  with  gratification 
or  dissatisfaction,  and  which,  through  side  issues,  very 
often  assume  the  importance  of  those  desired  to  be 
attained.  The  recollection  of  the  splendid  scenes 
through  which  I  have  passed,  the  people  whom  I  have 
met,  the  cities  I  have  visited,  will  be  a  lifelong 
satisfaction,  but  the  opportunity  to  help  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  fellow-soldiers  and  to  do  others  honor 
while  they  yet  live,  will  be  the  most  gratifying  outcome 
of  my  journey.  Knowing  this,  the  following  letter 
from  Chaplain  Earnshaw  holds  an  important  place 
among  the  papers  of  my  correspondents. 

National  Soldiers'  Home, 
DAYTON,  OHIO,  July  27,  1876. 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

MY  DEAR  COMRADE:  We  have  received,  through  Major  E.  M. 
Hessler,  your  generous  donation  to  aid  in  erecting  the  Soldiers' 
Monument  at  the  Home.  You  have  the  hearty  thanks  of  three 
thousand  disabled  veterans  now  on  our  rolls;  and  a  cordial  invitation 
to  visit  us  whenever  it  is  your  pleasure  to  do  so.  Again,  we  thank 
you. 

Very  respectfully, 

WILLIAM  EARNSHAW, 
President  Historical  and  Monumental  Society. 

On  leaving  the  city  several  gentlemen  gave  me  the 
pleasure  of  their  company  for  some  distance,  among 


CLEVELAND  TO  TOLEDO.  247 

them  Alexander  Wilsey,  who  before  the  war  had  been 
a  scholar  of  mine  back  in  Schodack,  New  York. 

Meeting  him  was  only  one  of  many  similar  ex- 
periences, for  here  and  there  along  my  route  I  found 
old  acquaintances,  whose  faces  I  had  never  expected  to 
see  again. 

After  a  ride  of  six  hours,  I  rode  into  Black  River 
and  found  it  quite  an  enterprising  village,  but  hardly 
suggesting  its  old  position  as  the  principal  port  in  the 
county. 


Huron  House, 
HURON,  OHIO, 
July  Twelfth. 

Left  the  aspiring  village  of  Black  River  or  "Lor- 
raine," as  the  inhabitants  are  disposed  to  call  it,  at 
nine  o'clock,'  stopping  at  the  Lake  House,  Vermillion, 
for  dinner.  The  scenery  is  very  attractive  along  the 
Lake  Shore  Road  between  Black  River  and  Huron, 
and  I  followed  it  all  day  and  for  two  or  three  hours 
after  nightfall,  covering  a  distance  of  twenty  miles. 
My  sense  of  the  beautiful  was  somewhat  dimmed, 
however,  by  the  cloud  of  mosquitoes  which  beset  my 
path,  and  which  were  hardly  persuaded  to  part  com- 
pany at  the  hotel.  There  were  nearly  seven  hundred 
people  in  Huron,  and  I  must  confess  that  so  far  as  the 
principle  of  equal  distribution  is  concerned,  I  harbored 
socialistic  views  as  I  entered  the  slumbering  village. 
Of  all  the  hordes  of  squirrels,  wild  turkeys,  wolves, 
wild  cats,  deer,  buffaloes  and  panthers  that  made  their 
homes  about  this  part  of  the  country  in  the  times  of 
the  Indian,  scarcely  a  vestige  remains. 


248         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

The  race  of  the  red  man  is  becoming  slowly  exter- 
minated, and  its  friends  of  the  forest  seem  to  be  dis- 
appearing with  it,  while  the  white  man  and  the  mos- 
quito fill  their  places.  I  am  sure  no  one  of  average 
reason,  especially  our  logicians  of  New  Jersey,  would 
deny  that  this  is  another  proof  of  the  survival  of  the 
fittest. 

Although  it  was  dark  before  I  came  into  Huron,  I 
could  get  a  very  good  idea  of  its  character,  and  had 
formed  some  notion  of  the  place  which  was  to  shelter 
me.  In  1848  it  was  spoken  of  as  having  been 
"  formerly  the  greatest  business  place  in  the  county/' 
and  this  reputation,  although  it  has  not  made  it  a 
Sandusky  or  a  Cleveland,  has  left  it  a  spark  of  the  old 
energy. 


West  House, 

SANDUSKY,  OHIO, 

July  Thirteenth. 

I  was  fortunate  in  having  a  comparatively  short 
distance  to  travel  between  Huron  and  this  city.  It  is 
only  nine  miles,  and  I  did  not  start  until  two  o'clock, 
allowing  myself  a  two  hour's  easy  gallop  with  the 
lake  on  my  right  all  the  way. 

Along  this  shore  more  than  a  century  ago,  General 
Bradstreet,  with  three  thousand  men,  sailed  to  the 
relief  of  Fort  Junandat,  while  Pontiac,  the  great  Ot- 
tawa warrior,  was  besieging  Detroit.  Reaching  Fort 
Sandusky  he  burned  the  Indian  villages  there  and  de- 
stroyed the  cornfields ;  passed  on  up  to  Detroit  to 
scatter  the  threatening  savages,  and  returning  went 


CLEVELAND  TO  TOLEDO.  249 

into  the  Wyandot  country  through  Sandusky  Bay. 
To  have  attempted  to  ride  alone  on  horseback  in  those 
days  would  have  been  a  foolhardy,  if  not  a  fatal 
undertaking.  Now  the  screech  of  an  engine-whistle 
announced  the  approach  of  a  train  on  the  Lake  Shore 
Road,  the  great  wheels  thundered  by,  and  Paul,  alert 
and  trembling,  was  ready  to  dash  away.  How  differ- 
ent it  would  have  been  in  those  old  pioneer  times ! 
The  horseman  would  have  been  the  one  to  tremble 
then,  his  hand  reach  for  his  rifle,  his  eyes  strained 
towards  the  thicket  from  whence  the  expected  yell 
of  the  savage  was  to  come. 

Among  the  first  proprietors  of  this  section  were  the 
Eries.  These  were  followed  by  the  resistless  Iroquois, 
and  after  them  the  Wyandots  and  Ottawas,  who  seem 
to  have  left  the  strongest  impress  upon  the  hills  and 
valleys  of  Ohio.  One  of  these  tribes,  the  Wyandots? 
called  the  bay  near  which  they  built  their  wigwams 
Sse-san-don-ske,  meaning  "  Lake  of  the  Cold  Water," 
and  from  this  the  present  name  of  the  city  comes.  In 
the  early  days  it  was  called  Ogontz,  after  a  big  chief 
of  that  name  who  lived  there  before  the  year  1812. 
All  about  were  rich  hunting-grounds,  which  accounts 
for  its  having  been  chosen  by  the  Indians  in  times  of 
peace;  and  even  now  Sandusky  is  held  to  be  one 
of  the  greatest  fish-markets  in  America. 

The  place  was  bound  to  be  attractive  to  the  white 
man,  and  any  one  might  have  safely  prophesied  that  a 
city  would  rise  here.  The  ground  slopes  gradually 
down  to  the  lake,  the  bay  forms  an  ideal  harbor,  and 
looking  off  upon  the  boats  and  water,  the  eye  rests 
upon  a  scene  picturesque  and  striking. 

My  attention  was  called  to  Johnson's  Island,  which 


250         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

was  used  for  the  confinement  of  Confederate  officers 
during  the  late  war.  I  learned  that  they  were  al- 
lowed the  luxury  of  an  occasional  bath  in  the  lake, 
under  guard,  of  course,  and  in  squads  of  a  hundred 
men  —  a  luxury  which  the  boys  in  Libby  and  Charles- 
ton and  Columbia  would  have  thought  "  too  good  to 
be  true." 

Under  the  city  are  the  limestone  quarries,  which 
furnish  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  building  material 
and  which  give  an  added  distinction  to  this  bright 
little  city  of  the  lakes. 

On  the  evening  of  my  arrival  I  spoke  in  Union 
Hall  and  was  introduced  by  Captain  Culver,  who  re- 
ferred to  my  military  record  and  the  object  of  my 
lectures.  Captain  Culver  is  a  comrade  in  the  G.  A. 
R.  and  a  fellow-prisoner  at  Libby  and  other  prisons. 
He  did  much  towards  making  my  stay  at  Sandusky 
most  agreeable. 


Fountain  House, 

CASTALIA,  OHIO, 

July  Fourteenth. 

My  Sandusky  friend,  Captain  Culver,  called  at  the 
West  House  for  me  soon  after  breakfast,  and  we  spent 
the  forenoon  strolling  about  the  city.  I  was  shown 
the  newly  completed  Court  House,  of  which  San- 
duskians  are  very  proud  ;  met  several  of  the  offi- 
cials and  found  much  to  admire.  Left  at  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  and  by  six  had  reached  Castalia,  five 
miles  distant,  which  I  soon  found  had  something  to 
boast  of  back  of  its  classic  name.  As  a  stranger  I 


CLEVELAND  TO   TOLEDO.  251 

Was  of  course  immediately  told  of  the  wonders  of  the 
"  waters/7  which  I  learned  form  quite  an  attraction  in 
summer  and  keep  the  little  place  in  a  flutter  of  excite- 
ment. 

Marshall  Burton  came  in  1836  and  laid  out  this 
prairie  town  at  the  head  of  Coal  Creek.  Finding  the 
source  of  the  stream  in  a  cool,  clear  spring,  now  known 
to  be  two  hundred  feet  in  diameter  and  sixty  feet 
deep,  named  the  place  "  Castalia,"  from  the  famed 
Greek  fountain  at  the  foot  of  Parnassus.  The  waters 
of  this  spring  are  so  pure  that  objects  are  plainly  seen 
through  the  sixty  liquid  feet,  and  they  say  that  when 
the  sun  reaches  meridian,  these  objects  reflect  the 
colors  of  the  rainbow,  which  might  suggest  to  Casta- 
lians  that  the  ancient  sun-god,  Apollo,  favored  the 
western  namesake  of  his  Delphian  fount.  I  met  no 
poets  here,  but  possibly  inspiration  is  not  one  of  the 
powers  guaranteed.  Indeed  if  it  should  treat  devotees 
of  the  Divine  Art,  as  it  does  everything  else  that  is 
plunged  into  it,  we  should  have  petrified  poets. 

These  petrifying  qualities  of  the  water,  caused  by  the 
combined  action  of  lime,  soda,  magnesia  and  iron  have 
made  the  mill-wheels  which  turn  in  Coal  Creek  in- 
capable of  decay. 

At  a  little  distance  from  the  town  is  a  cave  of  quite 
large  dimensions,  which  was  discovered  accidentally 
through  a  dog  running  into  the  opening  in  pursuit  of 
a  rabbit.  This  cave  I  believe  makes  up  the  comple- 
ment of  natural  attractions  about  the  village.  The 
chief  attraction,  the  social  life  of  the  people,  cannot  be 
guessed  at  by  the  rapid  glance  of  the  traveller.  But 
even  a  short  sojourn  here  is  apt  to  be  remembered 
long  and  pleasantly.  Ohioans  are  notably  hospitable. 


252        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 


Ball  House, 
FREMONT,  O 
July  Fifteenth. 

I  was  awakened  at  twelve  P.  M.  the  previous  night 
at  Castalia  by  two  villainous  imps,  who  seemed 
determined  to  make  an  impression.  Their  evident  ob- 
ject was  "  more  rum,"  which  to  the  credit  of  the  land- 
lord was  not  furnished  them.  Exasperated  by  this 
temperance  measure,  they  attempted  to  enter  the  house, 
and  finding  the  doors  locked  began  a  bombardment 
with  fists  and  feet.  This  novel  performance  was  kept 
up  until  the  object  of  their  wrath  and  his  shot-gun  ap- 
peared. Owing  to  this  my  ride  of  nineteen  miles  to 
Fremont  was  not  as  refreshing  as  it  might  have  been. 

As  I  approached  the  town  I  thought  of  President 
Hayes,  who  is  so  closely  identified  with  it.  Here  he 
began  the  practice  of  law,  and  won  such  popularity,  not 
only  among  his  townsmen,  but  throughout  the  State, 
that  in  1864,  after  a  succession  of  honors,  his  friends 
were  pushing  him  for  Congress.  In  answer  to  a  letter 
written  from  Cincinnati,  suggesting  that  his  presence 
there  would  secure  his  election,  he  said,  "An  officer 
fit  for  duty,  who  at  this  crisis  would  abandon  his  post 
to  electioneer  for  Congress,  ought  to  be  scalped.  You 
may  feel  perfectly  sure  that  I  shall  do  no  such  thing," 
and  in  a  letter  to  his  wife,  written  after  he  had  heard 
of  Lincoln's  assassination,  he  expressed  another  sen- 
timent quite  as  strong  when  he  said  :  "  Lincoln's 
success  in  his  great  office,  his  hold  upon  the  confidence 
and  affection  of  his  countrymen,  we  shall  all  say  are 


CLEVELAND  TO  TOLEDO.  253 

only  second  to  Washington's.  We  shall  probably 
feel  and  think  that  they  are  not  second  even  to  bis." 

Fremont  of  course  is  justly  proud  of  the  name  and 
fame  of  Rutherford  B.  Hayes.  Two  years  before  he 
returned  to  his  home,  after  refusing  Grant's  offer  of 
an  Assistant  Secretaryship,  but  the  people  of  Ohio 
were  not  satisfied  with  this.  Their  feelings  were 
probably  voiced  by  the  words  of  a  personal  friend 
of  Hayes,  who  said :  "  With  your  energies,  talents, 
education,  and  address,  you  are  green — verdant  as 
grass — to  stay  in  a  country  village."  Soon  after- 
wards, at  the  urgent  and  repeated  requests  of  the 
people,  he  gave  up  his  quiet  life  and  once  more  entered 
the  political  arena,  with  results  which  the  election  of 
1876  shows. 

There  were  apparently  many  who  were  dissatisfied 
with  the  Nation's  choice,  but  in  Ohio,  and  especially 
where  he  was  known  personally,  he  was  much  beloved 
and  admired.  His  uncle,  Sardis  Birchard,  who  died 
some  years  ago,  leaving  his  property  and  fortune  to  his 
namesake,  has  given  a  park  and  a  fine  library  to  Fre- 
mont. 

The  town  is  on  the  Sandusky  River,  at  the  head  of 
navigation,  and  has  quite  a  brisk  trade  for  a  place 
claiming  only  a  little  over  five  thousand  inhabitants. 


Elmore  House, 

ELMOKE,  OHIO, 

July  Sixteenth. 

My  accommodations  at  the   Ball  House,    Fremont, 
were  quite   in  contrast  with  those  placed  at  my  dis- 


254         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

posal  at  Castalia.  I  heard  no  stories  of  "  mineral 
springs  "  or  wonderful  freaks  of  Nature,  but  shall  re- 
member Fremont  as  the  delightful  little  city  where  I 
had  two  nights'  sleep  in  one. 

I  began  my  day's  journey  at  eight  o'clock  with 
El  more  as  the  evening  objective.  Halted  a  few 
moments  at  a  hotel  known  in  that  locality  as  the  Four- 
Mile  House.  Took  dinner  at  Hessville,  where  I  re- 
mained until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  then 
rode  on  to  Elmore. 


8 


CHAPTER  XV. 

FIVE  DAYS  AT   TOLEDO. 

RDEKED  Paul  and  saddled  him  myself 
at  Elmore,  on  the  morning  of  July  seven- 
teenth. In  fact  it  was  my  usual  custom, 
while  riding  through  the  rural  districts,  to 
personally  groom,  feed  and  care  for  my 
horse,  as  I  learned  soon  after  leaving 
Boston  that,  unless  I  attended  to  his 
wants  myself,  he  was  most  likely  to  be 
neglected  by  those  in  whose  hands  he 
was  -placed,  and  from  a  .selfish  standpoint,  knowing 
also  the  importance  of  keeping  him  in  the  best  possible 
condition,  I  never  overlooked  anything  which  was 
likely  to  add  to  his  comfort. 

On  my  way  from  El  more,  I  stopped  for  lunch  at  a 
country  grocery,  hotel  and  saloon,  four  miles  from  this 
city.  A  small  piece  of  bread,  a  bowl  of  milk,  and  a 
few  crackers  covered  my  refreshment  at  the  "  Jack 
of  All  Trades,"  as  upon  asking  for  a  second  piece  of 
bread  I  was  informed  that  I  had  just  eaten  the  last  in 
the  house.  There  being  no  further  appeal,  I  re- 
mounted and  rode  off  in  the  direction  of  Toledo,  where 
I  lectured  in  the  evening  at  Lyceum  Hall,  under  the 
auspices  of  Forsyth  Post,  being  introduced  by  Doctor 

(257) 


258         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

J.  T.  Woods,  a  surgeon  of  our  Volunteer  Army  dur- 
ing the  late  war,  and  now  an  active  comrade  in  the 
G.  A.  R. 

Doctor  Woods  and  I  had  a  long  and  animated  talk 
at  the  Boody  House  over  old  times,  and  especially  of 
Custer,  who  was  greatly  admired  by  both  of  us,  as  he 
was  by  every  one  who  knew  anything  of  him.  Doctor 
Woods  had  collected  a  number  of  articles  referring  to 
the  General  which  he  thought  of  especial  interest, 
among  others  the  following  lines  which  seem  to  bear 
the  very  impress  of  Ouster's  martial  spirit : 

"  The  neighing  troop,  the  flashing  blade, 

The  bugle's  stirring  blast. 
The  charge,  the  dreadful  cannonade, 

The  din  and  shout  are  past. 
No  war's  wild  notes  nor  glory's  peal 

Shall  thrill  with  fierce  delight 
The  breast  that  nevermore  may  feel 

The  raptures  of  the  fight/' 

When  our  conversation  turned  upon  Toledo,  it  be- 
came more  cheerful.  The  city,  after  having  survived 
many  reverses  of  fortune,  is  now  on  the  eve  of  rapid 
development,  and  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  a  rival 
in  Northern  Ohio.  The  long  and  hard  battle  fought 
for  the  soil  on  which  it  now  stands  is  almost  for- 
gotten, and  instead  of  arousing  the  interest  of  the 
stranger  with  thrilling  tales  of  massacre  and  war,  the 
Toledoan  now  points  to  the  emblems  of  peace. 

Not  so  far  away  but  that  the  patriotic  citizen  may 
become  familiar  with  the  place  is  the  old  battle-field 
of  "Fallen  Timbers,"  where  "  mad  Anthony  Wayne" 
brought  the  Indians  to  bay,  and  having  conquered, 
pursued  them  for  ten  miles  along  the  Maumee,  until 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  TOLEDO.  259 

he  reached  Swan  Creek,  now  in  the  centre  of  the 
town.  . 

This  battle  is  one  of  the  most  dramatic  in  the  records 
of  Indian  warfare.  It  was  at  a  time  when  the  Wa- 
bash  and  Miami  tribes  had  refused  to  accept  any  over- 
tures from  the  Americans,  and  when  they  were  de- 
termined to  fight  out  their  cause  with  the  help  of  the 
British. 

Knowing  that  pacific  measures  were  then  super- 
fluous, and  that  the  matter  must  be  decided  by  war, 
Wayne  at  the  head  of  a  splendid  support,  marched  to 
the  Maumee,  erected  Fort  Defiance  at  the  junction  of 
the  AU  Glaize,  and  then  proceeded  to  a  point  where 
he  knew  the  forces  of  the  enemy  were  concentrated. 
The  place  was  in  every  way  favorable  to  the  party  in 
possession — the  river  on  the  left,  heavy  thickets  on 
the  right,  and  in  front  natural  breastworks  formed  by 
fallen  timbers,  the  result  of  a  tornado.  Into  this  trap 
it  was  necessary  to  march  in  order  to  meet  the  foe. 
Wayne's  simple  plan  of  attack  was  this:  to  rouse 
the  savages  from  their  lair  with  an  irresistible  bayonet 
charge,  "  and  when  up,  to  deliver  a  close  and  well- 
directed  fire  on  their  backs." 

The  result  was  a  victory  for  the  Americans.  The 
Indians  and  their  white  allies,  completely  routed,  made 
a  precipitous  retreat,  leaving  the  battle-field  covered 
with  their  dead.  Hotly  pursued,  their  cornfields 
and  wigwams  destroyed  on  the  way,  they  were  finally 
ready  to  acknowledge  that  peace  was  better  than 
war.  So  ended  the  great  battle  of  the  Maumee, 
one  of  the  most  fatal  in  its  effect  upon  the  destiny  of 
the  red  race. 

It  was  after  this,  when  actual  contest  was  over,  and 


260    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  Indians  had  been  provided  for  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, that  the  Cincinnati  Company  laid  out  a  town 
on  the  present  site  and  called  it  Port  Lawrence, 
after  the  famous  flag-ship  in  which  Perry  met  the 
British  on  Lake  Erie.  Later,  Major  Stickney,  a  his- 
toric pioneer,  whose  sons,  "  One  "  and  "  Two  "  Stickney 
are  equally  immortal,  laid  out  Vistula,  which  after- 
wards joined  Port  Lawrence,  under  a  name  destined  to 
become  a  power  in  the  State — Toledo. 

The  fortunes  of  the  new  town  were  fluctuating  as 
April  weather,  and  the  faith  of  property-holders  must 
have  grown  weak  through  wavering.  Most  of  these 
hard  times  were  due  to  malaria,  which  was  bred  in 
the  neighboring  swamps  and  forests,  and  which  was  an 
ever-present  menace;  yet  when  the  cloud  of  contention 
lowered  over  the  tract  of  land  lying  between  the 
territory  of  Michigan  and  the  State  of  Ohio,  Toledo, 
the  very  centre  of  the  trouble,  being  claimed  by  both, 
was  animated  enough,  although  her  neighbor,  Monroe, 
was  wont  to  vex  her  with  such  taunts  as  this : 

"The  potatoes  they  grow  small,  on  Maumee, 
And  they  eat  them,  tops  and  all,  on  Maumee." 

Potato-tops  must  have  possessed  singular  virtue,  for 
there  was  no  want  of  spirit  when  the  test  came  "On 
Maumee." 

The  "Toledo  War,"  much  talked  of  and  laughed 
over  in  its  da}7,  is  passing  slowly  into  oblivion,  and 
now  only  an  occasional  grey-beard  brings  its  scenes 
back  with  amusing  reminiscence.  The  cause  of  the 
trouble  lay  in  a  mistake  of  Congress,  which  estab- 
lished an  impossible  boundary  line  between  Michigan 
and  Ohio,  so  that  the  "  bone  of  contention  "  was  a 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  TOLEDO.  261 

tract  of  land  eight  miles  wide  at  the  western  end, 
and  five  at  the  eastern,  which  both  claimed.  The 
people  living  in  this  tract  were  therefore  between  two 
fires,  some  preferring  to  be  governed  by  the  laws  of 
the  territory,  and  the  others  giving  their  allegiance  to 
Ohio.  The  respective  governors  were  the  principals 
in  the  quarrel,  and  showed  a  strong  disposition  to 
fight,  while  the  chief  executive  at  Washington,  being 
unable  to  interfere,  was  obliged  to  assume  the  role  of 
a  spectator,  advising,  however,  that  the  interested 
parties  defer  action  until  the  convening  of  Con- 
gress. 

The  advantages  were  pretty  evenly  divided,  except 
that  Michigan,  as  a  territory,  in  attempting  to  prevent 
the  State  from  enforcing  her  supposed  right,  aroused  a 
strong  State  pride  among  the  "  Buckeyes."  The  mi- 
litia was  called  out  on  both  sides  and  Michigan 
threatened  with  arrest  those  who  should  attempt  to 
re-mark  the  boundary  line — the  compliment  being 
generously  returned  by  Ohio. 

In  the  midst  of  these  hostilities  the  Legislature  of 
Ohio  created  a  new  county,  calling  it  Lucas,  after  the 
Governor,  which  included  a  portion  of  the  contested 
territory,  and  had  for  its  seat  the  town  of  Toledo.  To 
hold  court  at  this  county -seat  without  the  intervention 
of  the  authorities  of  Michigan  would  virtually  decide 
the  case  in  Ohio's  favor,  but  how  this  bold  coup  d'etat 
was  to  be  accomplished,  and  on  the  date  appointed — 
the  seventh  of  September — was  a  question  that  puzzled 
the  Governor  himself.  General  Brown,  in  charge  of 
the  Michigan  militia,  was  reported  to  be  in  Toledo  at 
the  time,  with  a  force  twelve  hundred  strong;  while 
Colonel  Vanfleet,  the  Ohio  warrior,  was  to  rely  upon 


262    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  stout  hearts  of  a  hundred  men,  who  were  to  act  as 
posse  for  the  protection  of  the  court. 

When  the  judges,  sheriff  and  attendants  met  at 
Miami  to  perfect  their  plans,  on  Sunday  the  sixth  of 
September,  they  were  somewhat  fearful  of  the  issue, 
and  finally  left  the  decision  of  the  matter  in  the  hands 
of  Colonel  Yanfleet.  This  intrepid  Leonidas  imme- 
diately assumed  the  championship  of  his  State  with 
admirable  skill,  and,  walking  up  and  down,  sword  in 
hand,  in  front  of  his  hundred  followers,  for  a  moment's 
meditation,  turned  at  last  to  the  judges  with  these  im- 
pressive words: 

"  If  you  are  women,  go  home ;  if  you  are  men,  do 
your  duty  as  judges  of  the  court.  I  will  do  mine.  If 
you  leave  this  matter  entirely  with  me,  I  will  be  re- 
sponsible for  your  safety  and  insure  the  accomplishment 
of  our  object ;  but  if  otherwise,  I  can  give  you  no  as- 
surance ! " 

In  the  light  of  present  knowledge,  the  reader  of 
these  words,  while  he  respects  and  admires  the  spirit 
in  which  they  were  uttered,  and  the  man  who  spoke 
them,  cannot  avoid  a  mild  sense  of  amusement.  But 
this  is  not  to  the  point.  Matters  proceeded  seriously 
on  that  sixth- of  September,  1835.  Vanfieet  called  for 
twenty  volunteers,  and  these  having  quickly  responded 
to  the  call,  the  Colonel  then  informed  his  proteges, 
probably  not  to  their  surprise,  that  the  seventh  of  Sep- 
tember would  begin  immediately  after  midnight ;  that 
the  law  did  not  specify  any  time  for  the  opening  of 
court,  and  that  if  they  would  rely  upon  his  protection, 
they  could  accomplish  their  purpose  in  the  face  of  the 
toe. 

"  Governor  Lucas  wants  the  court  held,"  he  added, 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  TOLEDO.  263 

"so  that  by  its  record  he  may  show  to  the  world  that 
he  has  executed  the  laws  of  Ohio  over  the  disputed 
territory  in  spite  of  the  vaporing  threats  of  Governor 
Mason.  Be  prepared  to  mount  your  horses  to  start  for 
Toledo  at  precisely  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  will 
be  ready  with  my  escort." 

The  appointment  was  met,  and  Toledo  was  reached 
at  three  o'clock.  The  party  proceeded  directly  to  a 
school-house,  and  there  court  was  held  in  due  form  of 
law,  its  proceedings  written  out  on  bits  of  paper  being 
deposited  in  the  lall  crown  of  the  clerk's  hat.  When 
business  was  over,  the  entire  party  went  to  a  tavern 
near  by  for  refreshments.  Just  as  the  men  were  about 
to  indulge  in  a  second  cup  of  cheer,  some  one  called  out 
that  General  Brown,  with  a  strong  force,  was  on  his 
way  to  arrest  them.  Glasses  were  dropped,  the  little 
matter  of  indebtedness  to  the  saloon-keeper  was  waived 
without  ceremony,  and  a  moment  later  not  a  sign  of  the 
Ohio  dignitaries  remained. 

When  they  had  placed  a  sufficient  amount  of  the  con- 
tested soil  between  themselves  and  General  Brown,  they 
halted  upon  a  hill  to  fire  a  salute,  but  at  that  time  it  was 
learned  that  the  clerk's  hat,  containing  the  all-important 
papers,  had  been  knocked  off  his  head  by  the  limb  of  a 
tree  during  the  retreat.  To  return  might  mean  capture 
and  the  failure  of  their  plan.  To  abandon  the  recovery 
of  the  missing  hat  would  be  equally  deplorable.  Van- 
fleet  accordingly  sent  back  a  small  detachment  to  search 
the  road ;  "  the  lost  was  found,"  and,  at  last  triumphant, 
a  loud  salute  was  fired.  To  say  that  the  men  did  not 
then  let  the  grass  grow  under  their  feet  is  but  a  mild 
assertion.  It  has  been  said  by  good  authorities,  that  if 

the  retreating  party  had  charged  General  Brown's  regi- 
13 


204         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

ment  with  half  the  force  they  employed  in  getting 
away,  they  could  have  routed  a  force  twice  its  size. 
When  Congress  convened,  however,  they  had  the  satis- 
faction of  having  a  favorable  verdict  pronounced  upon 
their  "unlawful  act,  lawfully  committed/'  although 
Jackson  had  previously  expressed  himself  in  sympathy 
with  the  cause  of  Michigan.  The  defeated  party,  to 
even  up  matters,  was  given  the  northern  peninsula 
between  Superior  and  Huron,  now  her  richest  sec- 
tion. 

During  the  course  of  the  "  war  "  Toledo  was  full 
of  Michigan  troops,  who  left  many  anecdotes  behind 
them  and  whose  generally  harmless  behavior  raised 
many  a  laugh  among  the  townspeople.  As  one  of 
these  stories  goes,  Major  Stickney,  walking  out  into 
his  garden  one  morning,  noticed  something  that 
looked  like  a  human  figure  in  his  potato  vine's.  He 
called  out  to  the  mysterious  object  and  asked  what 
was  going  on  there?  The  call  brought  to  his  full 
length  a  soldier  in  uniform,  who  stretched  up  and  re- 
plied : 

"  Drafting  potato-tops  to  make  the  bottoms  volun- 
teer, sir ! " 

And  so,  half  in  jest,  and  half  in  earnest,  the  affair 
continued  and  ended. 

When  the  forests  were  cleared  away  and  the 
swamps  drained,  the  dread  malaria  partnership  was 
dissolved ;  good  health  brought  good  cheer,  and  pros- 
perity followed.  Very  soon  after  the  trouble  with 
Michigan,  the  Miami  and  Erie  Canal  was  built,  which 
has  been  one  of  the  important  factors  in  making  the 
"Corn  City'7  so  strong  commercially  Besides  this 
great  inland  waterway,  eight  railways  bring  into  her 


FIVE  DAYS  AT  TOLEDO.  267 

1 

marts  the  products  of  the  rich  farms  of  Illinois,  Indi- 
ana, Michigan  and  Ohio. 

From  her  ports  enormous  quantities  of  grain  are 
yearly  shipped  to  England  either  direct,  or  via  Mon- 
treal, and  her  people  say,  without  expecting  to  be 
contradicted,  that  no  city  in  the  United  States  can 
point  to  such  a  wonderful  development  of  commercial 
resources.  This  scarcely  suggests  the  time  when  To- 
ledo was  little  more  than  the  dead  carcass  of  specula- 
tion, the  prey  of  the  tax-gatherer,  waiting  the  resur- 
rection that  followed  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  when 
men  remained  her  citizens  simply  because  they  had  no 
money  with  which  to  get  away. 

Commerce  takes  the  lead  here,  but  there  is  one  en- 
terprise of  which  Toledoans  seem  to  be  even  prouder, 
and  to  see  which  they  take  the  visitor  "  whom  they 
wish  to  impress  with  their  greatness."  This  is  the 
thriving  and  truly  imposing  Milbourn  Wagon  Works, 
put  into  operation  in  1875  and  already  become  famous. 
The  brick  buildings  are  unusually  fine  and,  archi- 
tecturally, would  leave  the  uninformed  stranger  under 
the  impression  that  they  might  belong  to  some  insti- 
tution of  learning. 

I  was  enabled  to  see  more  of  the  city  than  I  had 
expected,  owing  to  an  unforeseen  circumstance.  A 
little  friend  who  lived  in  Detroit,  and  who  was  dying 
with  consumption,  had  expressed  a  wish  to  come  to 
Toledo  to  see  me  and  my  horse  before  it  was  too  late. 
I  therefore  remained  longer  than  I  intended,  that  her 
friends  might  bring  her  down  by  boat,  although  they 
hardly  hoped  that  she  would  survive  the  journey. 
She  was  given  the  pleasure  of  a  quiet  trip  to  Put-in- 
Bay,  the  well-known  resort,  and  with  this  and  the 


268          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

gratification  of  seeing  Paul,  in  whom  she  was  deeply 
interested,  her  visit  ended. 

Of  all  the  strangers  who  come  to  this  bright  and 
busy  city,  active  with  the  impetus  given  it  by  fifty 
thousand  souls,  I  doubt  if  any  take  more  keen  delight 
in  looking  upon  its  business  enterprises  and  individu- 
ality than  did  this  bright-minded  girl,  just  about  to 
relinquish  her  hold  upon  earth.  *She  knew  nothing 
of  the  dark  pages  in  its  history,  and  only  guessed  at 
the  wealth  and  strength  back  of  the  thronged  harbor. 
To  her  it  was  a  happy  place — the  temporary  home 
of  friends. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

TOLEDO     TO    DETROIT. 

Slag. 

Erie  Hotel, 

ERIE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  22,  1876. 

||Y  Toledo  friends  were  ready  at  the 
Boody  House  to  give  me  good-bye  when 
I  mounted  at  nine  o'clock,  and  I  received 
a  right  hearty  send-off.  Upon  leaving 
the  city,  instead  of  continuing  westward 
as  usual  toward  the  "  Golden  Gate,"  I  had 
determined  for  various  reasons  to  swing 
off  from  the  direct  course,  and  ride 
northward  to  Detroit,  moving  thence  to 
Chicago.  This  new  route  would  take  me  through 
Monroe,  a  town  with  which  the  life  of  General  Custer 
was  more  closely  associated  than  any  other,  and  know- 
ing that  I  would  find  much  there  that  would  give  me 
a  more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  man,  I  looked  for- 
ward to  this  part  of  my  journey  with  eager  anticipa- 
tion. 

The  ride  to  Erie  being  at  some  distance  from  the 
lake,  and  over  a  flat  region,  was  rather  monotonous. 
Erie  itself  is  a  small  unimportant  hamlet  at  the 

(269) 


270         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

western  end  of  the  lake,  and  a  modest  landmark  in 
my  journey  from  Toledo  to  Detroit.  Paul,  probably 
impressed  with  the  air  of  peace  that  enveloped  the 
place,  made  up  his  mind  upon  his  arrival  to  give  the 
good  people  a  display  of  his  mettle,  and  accordingly 
tore  through  the  village  streets  in  the  wildest  fashion. 
Having  thus  introduced  himself,  he  pranced  after 
I  had  dismounted  until  he  had  had  enough  ;  then  re- 
turning to  his  master,  his  eyes  seeming  to  flash  mischief^ 
he  looked  as  though  he  would  have  said,  had  he  been 
given  the  power  of  speech  :  "  I  have  been  having  a 
fine  time,  haven't  I  ?  and  would  you  like  to  mount 
me  and  enjoy  the  fun  too  ?  but  I  dare  you  !  " 

When  his  superabundant  spirits  had  found  vent, 
I  had  him  led  away  and  myself  attended  to  his  wants. 
Beyond  this  animated  exhibition  of  my  horse  the  day 
passed  uneventfully,  and  at  night  I  enjoyed  to  its 
fullest  extent  the  quietude  of  a  country  inn. 


Erie  Hotel, 

ERIE,  MICHIGAN, 
July  Twenty-third. 

Weather  cool  and  pleasant  ;  went  to  church  in  the 
morning  and  listened  to  a  sermon  by  Rev.  E.  P.  Wil- 
lard,  on  the  text,  "  Remember  the  Sabbath  Day  to  keep 
it  holy."  Doubtless  the  preacher  had  his  reasons  for 
bringing  to  the  minds  of  the  Erieans  this  particular 
command,  but  judging  from  appearances  they  needed 
a  very  mild  admonition.  It  looked  as  though  every 
day  were  Sunday  here. 

A  letter  reached  me  at  this  point  from  my  wife, 


TOLEDO  TO  DETROIT.  271 

full  of  concern  as  to  my  welfare  if  the  journey  were  to 
be  continued  across  the  Plains  ;  and  as  she  was  in  very 
indiiferent  health  at  the  time,  I  was  about  to  abandon 
my  purpose  and  return.  The  news  of  Ouster's  tragic 
death  had  reached  the  East,  and  my  intended  route 
running  as  it  did  across  the  Indian  country,  filled 
my  friends  with  apprehension.  Closely  following  this 
letter,  however,  came  another,  informing  me  that 
my  wife  was  improving,  and,  with  this  assurance,  I 
decided  not  to  turn  back.  By  this  time,  the  freedom 
and  charm  of  this  mode  of  travel  had  aroused  my 
enthusiasm  ;  the  imaginary  line,  losing  itself  in  the 
Pacific,  promised  a  rich  experience,  and  the  opportunity 
was  golden.  The  good  news  from  home  was  therefore 
joyfully  received. 


Strong's  Hotel, 

MONROE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  Twenty-fourth. 

I  was  detained  at  Erie  until  after  dinner,  spend- 
ing part  of  the  forenoon  in  a  blacksmith  shop,  where 
Paul  was  being  shod.  By  two  o'clock  I  was  on  the 
road  again,  riding  briskly  toward  Monroe,  for  the 
weather  was  so  much  cooler  than  it  had  been  during 
the  previous  week,  that  I  could  move  comfortably  at  a 
good  pace.  Paul  seemed  very  proud  of  his  new  shoes, 
and,  although  I  halted  two  or  three  times,  covered 
something  over  ten  miles  by  five  o'clock. 

As  I  reached  the  outskirts  of  Monroe,  I  was  con- 
siderably surprised  to  find  a  large  number  of  people 
assembled  on  the  picnic  grounds.  They  were  ac~ 


272         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

companied  by  a  band,  and  greeted  me  with  several 
national  air,  including  "Hail  Columbia"  and  the 
"  Star-Spangled  Banner."  The  Ouster  Monument  As- 
sociation received  me  at  the  City  Hall,  where  I  had  been 
announced  to  lecture  in  the  evening,  as  it  was  my  in- 
tention to  speak  in  the  interest  of  the  Fund  ;  but  the 
date  was  changed  to  the  Thursday  following  my  ar- 
rival, with  a  view  to  giving  its  members  an  oppor- 
tunity to  co-operate  with  my  advance  agents. 

Great  enthusiam  was  everywhere  apparent,  and  the 
people  of  Monroe  needed  no  urging  to  lend  their 
patronage,  when  the  movement  was  likely  to  reflect 
honor  upon  their  illustrious  dead. 

My  emotions  upon  entering  this  town,  long  the 
dearest  place  in  all  the  world  to  Custer,  can  better  be 
imagined  than  described.  That  it  was  a  favorite  with 
him  is  not  strange,  for  aside  from  the  tender  associa- 
tions which  it  held  for  him,  its  pretty  homes  and  broad 
streets,  deeply  shaded  by  maples,  make  it  a  most 
lovely  spot  and  the  very  type  of  peace. 


Strong's  Hotel, 

MONROE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  Twenty-fifth. 

Wrote  to  my  mother  in  the  morning,  and  after  dinner 
took  a  stroll  about  town.  Beyond  its  associations  with 
Custer,  Monroe  is  interesting  through  its  connection 
with  one  of  the  most  romantic  and  sanguinary  scenes 
connected  with  the  war  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States;  for  on  the  banks  of  the  River  Raisin? 
which  runs  through  it  to  the  lake,  occurred  the 


TOLEDO  TO  DETROIT.       .  273 

famous  Indian  massacre  of  1812.  Relics  of  the 
bloody  encounter  are  still  found  on  the  field. 

It  was  at  a  time  when  the  British  were  making  suc- 
cessful inroads  upon  Michigan,  and  General  Win- 
chester, at  the  head  of  eight  hundred  Kentuckians, 
had  been  ordered  to  French  town,  the  old  name  for 
Monroe,  the  same  point  toward  which  General  Miller 
had  previously  moved  on  a  mission  equally  fatal. 

Winchester  was  warned  of  the  advance  of  the 
enemy,  but  thought  there  was  no  cause  for  immediate 
alarm,  and  on  the  night  before  the  engagement,  he 
crossed  to  the  side  of  the  river  opposite  his  men, 
leaving  the  camp  open  to  attack.  The  result  was,  that 
he  awoke  the  next  morning  to  find  Proctor's  troops 
putting  his  men  to  rout,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet, 
while  their  Indian  allies- were  adding  to  the  confusion 
by  their  deadly  assault. 

Although  a  part  of  the  Americans  escaped  on  the 
ice  of  the  river,  the  field  was  covered  with  their  dead 
and  wounded,  General  Winchester  being  among  the 
former.  When  the  engagement  was  over,  Proctor 
rode  away,  leaving  a  detachment  to  guard  the  prison- 
ers and  wounded,  with  instructions  that  no  violence 
was  to  be  committed;  but  some  of  the  savages  who 
followed  him  having  become  intoxicated,  returned  and 
fell  upon  the  prisoners  with  unrestrained  frenzy. 
Most  of  the  latter  had  been  placed  in  two  small  cabins. 
These  were  fired,  and  the  victims  perished  in  the 
flames,  the  Indians  pushing  them  back  when  they  at- 
tempted to  escape  through  the  small  windows.  The 
remainder  were  massacred  and  their  bodies  left  a  prey 
to  the  wolves.  It  was  this  horrible  affair  that  aroused 
the  Americans  and  particularly  the  Kentuckians  to 


274         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

revenge;  and  when  Tecumseh,  the  Shawnee  warrior, 
who  was  the  chief  instigator  of  these  atrocities,  urged 
the  British  to  hazard  an  engagement  at  the  Thames, 
after  their  defeat  by  Perry,  they  prepared  to  return 
with  full  interest  the  blow  given  their  comrades  on  the 
Raisin.  The  battle  of  the  Thames  is  well  known. 
Tecumseh,  with  the  war  cry  on  his  lips,  met  his  re- 
ward through  a  Kentucky  bullet  early  enough  in  the 
fight  to  be  spared  the  shame  of  defeat.  With  him  fell 
a  powerful  foe,  but  one  whom  we  must  admire  even  in 
his  death. 

"Like  monumental  bronze,  unchanged  his  look, 
As  one  whom  pity  touched,  but  never  shook  ; 
Train'd  from  his  tree-rocked  cradle  to  his  bier 
The  fierce  extremes  of  good  and  ill  to  brook. 
Unchanging",  fearing  but  the  shame  of  fear, 
A  stoic  of  the  woods,  a  man  without  a  tear." 


Strong's  Hotel, 

MONROE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  Twenty-sixth. 

Received  a  large  forwarded  mail  from  my  advance 
agents  and  others,  which  I  attended  to  in  the  after- 
noon. I  was  also  favored  with  Detroit  papers  refer- 
ring to  my  proposed  lecture  in  that  city,  and  the  fol- 
lowing notice  from  the  Monroe  Monitor,  which,  together 
with  letters  from  the  Fund  Association,  I  kept  as 
souvenirs  of  my  stay  at  this  place  : 

"  The  lecture  announced  to  be  given  for  the  benefit  of  the  Ctister 
Monument  Fund,  on  Monday  evening,  at  the  City  Hall,  was  post. 
poned  for  various  reasons  until  Thursday  evening,  at  the  same 
place.  On  Monday  evening  several  members  of  the  association  met 


TOLEDO  TO  DETROIT.  275 

Captain  Willard  Glazier,  aud  were  most  favorably  impressed  with 
him.  They  are  convinced  that  he  is  thoroughly  in  earnest,  and  that 
his  proposition  is  a  most  liberal  one.  He  offers  to  give  the  entire  pro- 
ceeds of  his  lecture  to  the  association ;  and  not  only  in  this  city,  but 
throughout  the  State,  he  generously  offers  to  do  the  same  thing. 
This  is  certainly  deserving  of  the  warm  recognition  of  our  own 
people,  at  least,  and  we  hope  on  Thursday  evening  to  see  the  City 
Hall  filled.  Captain  Glazier  comes  with  the  strongest  endorsements 
from  well-known  gentlemen  in  the  East,  both  as  to  his  character  as 
a  gentleman  and  a  soldier,  and  his  ability  as  a  speaker  and  writer. 
The  Captain  served  under  the  late  General  Custer  in  the  cavalry, 
and  has  something  to  say  regarding  his  personal  knowledge  of  the 
dead  hero." 

When  I  started  from  Boston  in  May,  I  little 
dreamed  that  before  my  journey  Was  finished  the 
troubles  in  the  West  with  the  Sioux  would  bring  such 
a  result  as  this !  It  is  true,  aifairs  in  Montana  and 
Wyoming  territories  had  assumed  a  threatening  aspect, 
but  no  one  doubted  the  efficacy  of  "  Ouster's  luck," 
and  those  who  followed  the  campaign  looked  upon  it 
as  a  dramatic  and  striking  incident,  rather  than  a 
tragic,  one. 

News  was  slow  in  reaching  points  east  of  the 
Mississippi  and  was  then  often  unreliable,  so  that  if  I 
may  judge  from  personal  observation,  the  people  were 
wholly  unprepared  for  the  final  result  which  was 
flashed  across  the  country  on  the  fifth  of  July. 

jSnjenfji-settfntl)  JDcrg. 

Strong's  Hotel, 

MONROE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  Twenty-seventh. 

Rose  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  and  was  very 
busily  occupied  during  the  day  with  correspondence 
and  preparations  for  my  lecture.  The  people  of 


276         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Monroe  had  asked  that  I  would  tell  them  something  of 
my  experience  with  Custer  during  the  late  war  before 
beginning  the  lecture,  as  everything  relating  to  him 
was  at  that  time  of  the  most  thrilling  interest  to  them. 
It  was  not  difficult  to  comply  with  this  request.  The 
old  scenes  of  1863  were  as  fresh  in  memory  as  though 
they  had  been  witnessed  but  yesterday. 

My  first  meeting  with  Custer  was  at  the  third  battle 
of  Brandy  Station  on  the  twelfth  of  September,  1863, 
as  the  Cavalry  Corps  then  acting  as  the  advance  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  was  moving  toward  Culpeper  in 
pursuit  of  Lee's  retreating  columns.  Custer  had  but 
recently  been  commissioned  brigadier-general  and  this 
was  the  first  time  he  went  into  action  at  the  head  of 
his  brigade.  His  appearance  was  very  conspicuous.  A 
mere  boy  in  years,  gorgeously  equipped,  in  short,  bear- 
ing upon  his  person  all  the  gold  lace  and  other  para- 
phernalia allowed  his  rank,  he  formed  a  striking 
figure — such  a  one  as  is  seldom  seen  on  the  battle- 
field. His  arrival  at  Brandy  Station  was  at  a  critical 
juncture,  and  while  we  were  momentarily  expecting  a 
conflict  with  Stuart's  cavalry,  then  directly  in  our 
front,  all  had  a  curiosity  to  see  how  the  gayly  dressed 
brigadier  would  acquit  himself.  It  seemed  to  be  the 
general  impression  that  he  would  not  have  the  nerve  to 
"face  the  music"  with  his  bandbox  equipment,  but  he 
soon  proved  himself  equal  to  the  occasion.  Being 
ordered  to  charge  the  enemy,  he  snatched  his  cap  from 
his  head,  handed  it  to  his  orderly,  drew  his  sword 
and  dashed  to  the  front  of  his  brigade,  then  formed  in 
column  of  squadrons.  The  command  "Forward  !" 
was  instantly  given.  A  moment  later  "  Trot ! "  was 
sounded;  then  "Gallop!"  and  "Charge!"  and  before 


TOLEDO   TO  DETROIT.  277 

the  Confederates  bad  time  to  realize  that  we  really  in- 
tended an  attack,  they  were  swept  from  the  field,  and  a 
section  of  a  battery  with  which  they  had  been  opposing 
onr  advance  was  in  the  possession  of  the  young 
general  and  his  gallant  cavalrymen. 

No  soldier  who  saw  him  on  that  day  at  Brandy 
Station  ever  questioned  his  right  to  a  star,  or  all 
the  gold  lace  he  felt  inclined  to  wear.  He  at  once  be- 
came a  favorite  in  the  Array  of  the  Potomac  and  his 
fame  was  soon  heralded  throughout  the  country. 
After  this  engagement  I  saw  Ouster  at  Culpeper  and 
Cedar  Mountain,  and  in  the  skirmishes  along  the 
Kapidan  during  Lee's  retreat  from  Gettysburg;  later, 
when  Lee  again  advanced  through  Northern  Virginia, 
at  Sulphur  Springs,  Newmarket,  Bristoe  and  in  the  ac- 
tion of  Octobor  19,  1863,  near  New  Baltimore,  where 
I  was  taken  prisoner. 

The  incidents  which  I  recalled  were  those  of  wary 
but  Custers  friends  here  gave  me  ihe  incidents  of 
peace.  Mr.  J.  M.  Bulkley,  who  is  perhaps  more  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  the  General's  early  life  than 
any  other  man  in  Monroe,  was  his  old  school-chum 
and  seat-mate  at  Stebbin's  Academy. 

When  this  institution  was  broken  up,  and  its 
property  sold,  Mr.  Bulkley  bought  the  old  desk  'at 
which  he  and  Custer  had  sat,  and  on  which  as  school- 
boys they  had  cut  their  initials.  It  stands  in  his  store, 
and  in  it  are  kept  all  the  papers  relating  to  the  Monu- 
ment Fund. 

Custer's  next  experience  was  in  the  Monroe  Semi- 
nary, and  it  was  while  he  was  a  student  there  that 
the  pretty  little  face  of  his  future  wife  flashed  into  his 
life.  The  story  of  this  meeting  is  laughable  and  odd. 


278         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Ouster,  then  a  rough,  flaxen-haired  lad,  coming  home 
one  afternoon,  his  books  under  his  arm,  was  passing 
Judge  Bacon's  residence,  when  a  little  brown-eyed 
girl  swinging  on  the  gate  called  out  to  him,  "  Hello, 
you  Custer  boy!"  then,  half-frightened  by  the  blue 
eyes  that  glanced  toward  her,  ran  into  the  house.  The 
little  girl  was  Libbie  Bacon,  daughter  of  the  Judge. 
It  was  love  at  first  sight  for  Custer,  and  although 
they  did  not  meet  again  for  several  years,  he  was 
determined  to  win  the  owner  of  those  brown  eyes. 

Having  finished  a  preliminary  course  of  study  and 
wishing  to  enter  West  Point,  he  urged  his  father  to 
apply  to  John  Bingham,  then  a  member  of  Congress  for 
the  district  in  which  Monroe  was  situated,  for  an  ap- 
pointment. This  his  father  hesitated  to  do  as  Mr.  Bing- 
ham's  politics  were  opposed  to  his.  The  young  man 
was  therefore  obliged  to  rely  upon  his  own  efforts. 
He  called  upon  the  dignitary  himself.  Mr.  Bingham 
was  pleased  with  the  applicant,  promised  to  lend  his 
influence,  and  the  result  was  that  George  Armstrong 
Custer  ultimately  received  a  formal  notification  from 
Washington,  bearing  the  signature  of  Jefferson  Davis, 
to  the  effect  that  the  recipient  was  expected  to  re- 
port immediately  to  the  commanding  officer  at  West 
Point.  His  course  there  was  about  finished  upon  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war.  He  went  at  once  to 
Washington,  and  through  General  Scott  was  launched 
upon  his  military  career.  What  sort  of  a  soldier  he 
was  the  world  knows.  What  his  character  was  the  fol- 
lowing incident  may  partially  suggest.  It  occurred 
early  in  the  war  when  Custer  was  beginning  to  feel 
somewhat  discouraged  over  his  affairs.  He  had  already 
done  much  that  was  worthy  of  promotion  and,  having 


TOLEDO  TO  DETROIT.  281 

a  boy's  pride  and  ambition.  Fate  seemed  to  be  against 
him.  The  clouds  vanished  one  day,  however,  when 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  encamped  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Chickahominy  near  Richmond. 

General  Barnard,  of  the  Engineers,  starting  out  to 
discover  if  the  river  was  fordable  at  a  certain  point, 
called  upon  Ouster  to  accompany  him.  Arrived  at  the 
bank  of  the  stream,  he  ordered  the  young  officer  to 
"jump  in."  He  was  instantly  obeyed,  although  the 
pickets  of  the  enemy  were  known  to  be  on  the  op- 
posite side,  and  dangerously  near.  Nor  did  Ouster  re- 
turn, after  having  found  that  there  was  firm  bottom, 
until  he  had  made  a  thorough  reconnoissance  of  the 
Confederate  outposts. 

Upon  their  return,  Barnard  rode  up  to  McClellan, 
who  was  about  to  visit  with  his  staff  his  own  out- 
posts, and  began  reporting  the  recently  acquired  in- 
formation, while  his  late  aide,  wearied  with  the  under- 
taking, and  covered  with  Chickahominy  mud,  had 
fallen  to  the  rear.  Gradually  it  came  out  that  Ouster, 
and  not  Ouster's  superior  officer,  had  performed  the 
important  duty.  He  was  immediately  called  for,  and 
to  his  great  embarrassment,  for  his  appearance  was  far 
from  presentable,  was  asked  by  McClellan  to  make  a 
report  of  the  situation  himself.  At  the  end  of  the  re- 
cital he  was  asked  by  his  commander,  to  his  amaze- 
ment, how  he  would  like  to  join  his  staif.  McClellan 
had,  by  a  rare  power  peculiar  to  him,  in  that  short 
interview,  won  Ouster's  unfailing  loyalty  and  affection, 
and  when  Ouster  was  asked  afterwards  how  he  felt  at 
the  time,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  he  said : 
"  I  felt  I  could  have  died  for  him." 

This  promotion  marked  the  beginning  of  his  future 


282        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

success.  In  recalling  his  career,  these  simple  lines, 
written  by  a  poet  unknown  to  me,  and  with  which 
Frederick  Whittaker,  in  his  admirable  life  of  Ouster, 
brings  his  biography  to  a  close,  involuntarily  suggest 
themselves : 

"  Who  early  thus  upon  the  field  of  glory 

Like  thee  doth  fall  and  die,  needs  for  his  fame 
Naught  but  the  simple  telling  of  his  story, 
The  naming  of  his  name." 


Varney  House, 

ROCKWOOD,  MICHIGAN, 

July  Twenty-eighth. 

Before  ordering  Paul  in  the  morning,  I  called  again 
at  the  home  of  the  Ousters.  The  General's  father 
seemed  greatly  interested  in  my  journey,  and  asked 
many  questions  concerning  my  plans  for  crossing  the 
Plains.  I  was  shown  the  rich  and  interesting  collec- 
tion of  relics  from  the  Indian  country  which  Ouster 
had  accumulated,  and  which  adds  a  picturesqueness  to 
every  corner  of  the  house,  and  with  these,  some  very 
striking  photographs  of  the  General  taken  in  every 
variety  of  position  and  costume.  After  a  pleasant 
chat,  in  the  course  of  which  Mr.  Ouster  assured  me  of 
his  kind  solicitude,  he  walked  back  to  the  hotel  with 
me  to  see  me  off. 

While  riding  out  of  town,  I  met  Mr.  Bulkley,  and 
was  introduced  to  several  gentlemen  of  his  acquaint- 
ance, many  of  whom  were  schoolmates  of  Ouster  dur- 
ing his  boyhood.  Mr.  Bulkley,  speaking  for  the 
Monument  Association,  assured  me  that  everything 


TOLEDO   TO  DETROIT.  283 

would  be  done  that  could  further  my  wishes  in  Michi~ 
gan. 

The  lecture  last  evening  was  well  attended  and 
proved  a  financial  success.  It  was  therefore  gratifying 
to  give  the  entire  proceeds  to  the  treasurer,  Judge  T. 
E.  Wing,  although  he  generously  offered  to  divide. 
Parting  with  Mr.  Bulkley,  I  continued  on  my  route, 
my  mind  filled  with  the  events  of  the  three  preced- 
ing days.  Just  beyond  the  town  I  halted  to  look 
back,  and  then,  determined  to  prevent  any  sombre 
thoughts,  which  might  follow,  put  spurs  to  Paul,  who 
very  soon  covered  the  thirteen  miles  between  Monroe 
and  this  place.  As  we  neared  the  village,  I  caught 
sight  of  Huron  River,  the  Wrockumiteogoe  of  the 
Indians,  meaning,  "  clear  water."  On  its  banks  are 
found  those  mysterious  legacies  of  the  Mound  Build- 
ers —  whether  dwellings  or  tombs,  remains  for  the  anti- 
quarian to  determine. 


Farmers'  Hotel, 

ECORSE,   MICHIGAN, 

July  Twenty-ninth. 

Moved  from  Rockwood  at  ten  A.  M.,  halting  for  a 
few  minutes  at  Trenton,  a  small  village  seven  miles 
north  of  Rockwood  ;  and  from  there,,riding  on  to  Wy- 
andotte,  which  I  reached  about  one  o'clock,  and  stopped 
only  a  moment  at  the  Biddle  House,  finding  that 
dinner  was  awaiting  me  at  a  private  residence.  I  was 
ready  to  answer  the  hospitable  summons  promptly. 
Between  two  and  five  o'clock,  I  occupied  part  of 
the  time  in  looking  about  the  village,  which  is  chiefly 

14 


284         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

noted  for  its  iron  industries.  Farm  implements,  iron 
ships,  iron  rails,  and  in  fact  everything  that  can  be 
made  out  of  iron,  is  produced  here.  After  dinner  I 
rode  on  to  Ecorse,  which  is  three  miles  beyond, 
and  there  found  letters  and  papers  telling  me  that  I 
was  expected  at  the  Russell  House,  Detroit,  on  the 
evening  of  the  coming  Monday.  Once  within  my 
hotel,  I  found  the  heat  almost  unbearable,  but  follow- 
ing a  certain  method  which  I  had  found  by  experience 
to  be  a  successful  one,  I  was  enabled  in  a  measure  to 
improve  my  surroundings.  To  those  who  might 
think  my  modus  operandi  somewhat  unbecoming,  I 
would  only  suggest  that  they  try  my  mode  of  travel 
through  the  same  region  of  country,  and  at  the  same 
season  of  the  year.  Personal  experience  might  change 
their  opinion. 

Having  been  shown  to  my  apartment  by  the  land- 
lord or  one  of  his  assistants,  I  quietly  entered  and  se- 
cured the  door,  betraying  no  surprise  upon  seeing  the 
inevitable  "feather  bed."  Taking  off  my  coat,  I  be- 
gan by  removing  the  layers  of  mattresses,  which 
had  in  them  a  wonderful  reserve  force  of  July  heat. 
I  then  took  my  lamp  and  held  it  so  that  its  lambent 
flame  could  warm  the  cockles  of  every  mosquito's 
heart  clinging  to  the  ceiling.  The  mosquitoes,  quite 
averse  to  the  intense  heat,  quietly  dropped  into  the 
little  purgatory  which  I  had  prepared  for  them,  and 
troubled  me  no  more. 

So  did  I  secure  my  repose  at  the  Farmers'  Hotel, 
and  in  the  morning  was  in  the  humor  to  give  the  good- 
natured  proprietor,  Louis  Cicotte — a  typical  French 
Canadian — a  very  hearty  greeting,  and  an  assurance 
of  my  refreshment. 


TOLEDO  TO  DETROIT.  285 


Farmers1  Hotel, 

ECOESE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  Thirtieth. 

The  weather  was  oppressively  warm  again  on  this 
day,  and  business  in  Ecorse  was  apparently  not  "  boom- 
ing." I  found  the  place  quite  in  keeping  with  the 
majority  of  French  villages  along  the  Detroit  River  — 
unambitious  and  lifeless. 

Two  acknowledgments  came  from  Monroe  soon 
after  I  left,  referring  to  the  aid  which  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  giving  to  those  interested  in  the  Custer 
Monument.  One  was  a  brief  and  courteous  bearer  of 
thanks,  and  is  as  follows  : 

Headquarters, 

Custer  National  Monument  Association; 

MONROE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  28,  1876. 

This  is  to  certify  that  the  proceeds  of  the  lecture  by  Captain 
Willard  Glazier,  in  this  city  on  Thursday  evening,  July  27,  1876, 
have  been  paid  into  the  treasury  of  this  association,  for  which  the 
members  hereby  tender  him  their  sincere  thanks. 

T.  E.  WING, 
Treasurer. 

The  other  was  a  letter  of  introduction  and  explains 
itself: 

Headquarters, 

Custer  National  Monument  Association; 

MONROE,  MICHIGAN, 

July  28,  1876. 

To  AUXILIARY  SOCIETIES  AND  ASSOCIATIONS  OF  THE  CUSTEB 

MONUMENT  ASSOCIATION  : 

Captain  Willard  Glazier,  having  kindly  and  generously  volun- 
teered to  devote  the  proceeds  of  his  lectures  through  Michigan  to  the 


286         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

fund  being  raised  by  this  Association,  for  the  erection  of  a  monument 
to  the  memory  of  the  late  General  George  A.  Custer,  has  made  ar- 
rangements to  remit  to  our  treasurer  here  the  money  derived  from 
such  lectures,  and  we  bespeak  for  him  your  earnest  endeavor  in  aid 
of  our  common,  glorious  cause.  Respectfully, 

J.  M.  BULKLEY, 
Secretary. 

Our  second  day  at  Ecorse  ended  pleasantly.  In  the 
afternoon  my  brother  and  I  went  for  a  row  on  the 
river,  and  in  the  evening  took  a  walk  into  the  country. 
We  did  not  meet  with  any  game,  although  natural 
history  proclaims  this  section  the  haunt  of  many 
varieties  of  bird  and  beast.  The  first  settlers  even  re- 
member having  a  casual  acquaintance  with  the  deer, 
bear,  wolf,  wild  cat,  and  a  variety  of  smaller  game, 
including  that  interesting  little  quadruped,  the  badger, 
whose  name  has  become  the  nickname  of  Michigan. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

FOUR  DAYS  AT  DETROIT. 

jjFTER  a  much-needed  rest  of  a  day  and 
two  nights  at  Ecorse,  I  left  that  quiet  re- 
treat on  the  afternoon  of  July  thirty- 
first,  with  Detroit  as  my  evening  object- 
ive. At  Fort  Wayne,  I  was  met  by 
Babcock,  who  brought  me  the  sad  intelli- 
gence of  the  death  of  my  little  Detroit 
friend,  Kitty  Murphy,  who  had  failed  very 
rapidly  after  her  brief  visit  to  Toledo. 
We  rode  forward  together,  reaching  the  Russell  House 
at  five  o'clock,  and  there  I  was  met  by  General 
William  A.  Throop  and  others,  who  were  appointed 
as  a  committee  to  receive  me.  In  the  evening  I  lec- 
tured at  St.  Andrew's  Hall,  being  introduced  by 
General  L.  S.  Trowbridge  and  was  accom pained  on  the 
platform  by  several  Grand  Army  comrades. 

Immediately  after  the  lecture,  I  hurried  to  the 
home  of  my  bereaved  friends,  where  I  found  the 
mother  and  sisters  of  the  dead  girl  completely  pros- 
trated with  grief.  The  one  who  had  gone  was  their 
favorite,  for  whom  they  had  the  highest  hopes,  and  it 
was  hard  to  be  reconciled  to  the  passing  away  of  a 
life  so  full  of  promise  and  noble  purposes.  I  was 

(287) 


288          OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

proud  to  know  that  one  universally  loved  and 
admired  had  thought  of  me  in  her  last  moments 
and  had  left  a  token  of  her  friendship. 

On  the  morning  of  August  first,  I  arranged  my  af- 
fairs so  as  to  be  able  to  attend  the  funeral  services  of 
my  young  friend  the  following  day. 

The  proceeds  of  my  lecture  were  handed  to  the 
Monument  Fund  committee  with  a  letter  from  me 
to  be  forwarded  to  Monroe,  and  its  representatives 
here  acknowledged  this  in  the  following  note : 

Oity  Hall, 

DETROIT,  MICHIGAN, 
August  1,  1876. 

Received  of  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  forty  dollars,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Custer  Monument  Association,  as  the  proceeds  of  his  lecture, 
at  Detroit,  on  the  evening  of  July  31,  1876,  in  aid  of  such  associa- 
tion. 

[Signed]    L.  S.  TROWBRIDGE, 

WILLIAM  A.  THROOP, 

Committee. 

On  the  afternoon  of  August  second,  I  went  to  Kitty's 
grave  with  her  family  and  friends,  where  we  arranged 
on  the  little  mound  our  gifts  of  flowers.  I  placed 
my  own  offering — a  crown — at  her  head.  It  was 
the  last  tribute,  the  "  farewell  "  which  we  hoped  might 
one  day  be  lost  in  "  welcome." 

During  my  stay  here,  many  friends  extended  invi- 
tations to  visit  them,  but  I  was  able  to  accept  very  few. 
Among  those  whom  I  met  was  my  old  comrade, 
Captain  Charles  G.  Hampton,  who  was  at  the  Russell 
House  to  greet  me  when  I  arrived.  No  one  could  have 
been  more  welcome.  Captain  Hampton  and  I  began 
our  somewhat  peculiar  acquaintance  as  classmates  in 
the  State  Normal  College  at  Albany,  New  York,  in  the 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DETROIT.  289 

spring  of  1861,  where  we  joined  a  military  organiza- 
tion known  later  as  the  "  Normal  Company "  of  the 
"  Ellsworth  Avengers" — Forty-fourth  New  York  In- 
fantry— whose  members  were  put  through  a  course  of 
drills  in  anticipation  of  future  necessity,  their  voluntary 
drill  masters  being  Professors  Rodney  G.  Kimball  and 
Albeit  N.  Husted. 

It  was  argued  by  the  principal  and  by  the  faculty 
generally,  that  while  young  men  were  learning  how  to 
teach  the  schools  of  the  State,  it  would  be  well  also  for 
them  to  be  prepared  to  defend  the  flag  of  the  State. 
We  had  just  closed  our  term  when  President  Lincoln 
issued  his  call  for  seventy -five  thousand  volunteers,  and 
as  it  was  not  at  this  time  the  apparent  intent  of  the 
Normal  Company  to  enter  the  service  as  a  body,  we  de- 
cided to  enlist  in  some  other  organization. 

Hampton  went  to  Rochester  where  he  joined  the 
Eighth  New  York  Cavalry,  while  I  enlisted  in  the 
Second  New  York-Harris  Light  Cavalry,at  Troy.  We 
did  not  meet  again  until  November,  1863 — when,  by 
the  fortune  of  war,  we  both  became  inmates  of  Libby 
Prison.  The  circumstances  that  brought  us  there  were, 
on  his  side,  wounds  and  capture  in  an  action  with  guer- 
rillas under  Mosby;  on  mine,  capture  in  a  cavalry 
battle  near  New  Baltimore,  Virginia,  during  Lee's 
retreat  from  the  field  of  Gettysburg. 

During  our  imprisonment  at  Richmond,  Danville, 
Macon,  Savannah,  and  Charleston,  Captain  Hampton 
and  I  belonged  to  separate  messes,  so  that,  while  we 
met  daily,  we  had  very  little  intimate  intercourse.  At 
Columbia,  however,  it  was  different.  We  arrived  there 
in  the  midst  of  a  violent  thunder-storm,  and  were , 
marched  to  our  "quarters,"  in  an  open  yard  where 


290         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON 'HORSEBACK. 

the  water  was  running  in  streams.  Hampton  had 
managed  to  get  possession  of  a  board  about  twelve  feet 
long  when  he  met  me,  and  immediately  asked  if  I  had 
anything  to  stand  or  lie  on.  Upon  receiving  a  nega- 
tive answer  he  said  :  "Come  on,  let  us  share  this  plank 
together/'  From  this  time  we  were  messmates,  being 
joined  later  by  Lieutenant  Arthur  Richardson  of  Al- 
bany. When  I  escaped  from  Columbia  I  intrusted  to 
Hampton's  keeping  a  small  box  in  which  I  had  kept 
some  manuscripts  and  sketches,  that  I  intended  to  use 
in  future  work.  This  he  managed  to  keep  until  his  ex- 
change, when  he  expressed  it  to  my  home  in  Northern 
New  York.  We  did  not  meet  again  until  after  the  close 
of  the  war.  The  possession  of  the  contents  of  this  box 
was  of  inestimable  value  to  me  in  getting  out  my  first 
book,  l(  Capture,  Prison-Pen  and  Escape."  Being 
embarrassed  for  funds  before  the  first  edition  of  it  was 
published,  I  wrote  to  Captain  Hampton,  and  by  the 
next  mail  received  a  generous  sum  sufficient  to  carry 
me  through  that  critical  period.  Since  then  he  has 
been  a  most  loyal  friend  and  comrade,  and  during  my 
stay  here,  did  much  to  make  enjoyable  my  visit  to 
the  city  which  he  had  chosen  for  his  home. 

One  needs  no  friends  though,  to  make  Detroit  at- 
tractive, for  its  past  history  and  present  beauty  give  it 
an  unfailing  interest.  As  to  the  latter,  it  can  never 
be  justly  drawn,  however  vivid  the  description,  nor 
truly  understood,  however  careful  the  reader.  It  must 
be  seen*  As  to  its  history,  that  is  general  and  belongs 
to  the  country,  and  I  know  of  no  great  American  city 
which  has  a  more  romantic  past. 

In  the  days  of  the  early  explorers  the  present  site 
Was  looked  upon  as  favorable  for  a  settlement,  com- 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DETROIT.  291 

manding  as  it  does  a  rich  tract  of  country  and  lying  at 
the  very  entrance  to  the  Upper  Lakes.  The  Iroquois 
were  then  in  possession  and  their  village  was  known 
as  Teuchsa  Grondi.  Both  the  English  and  French 
coveted  this  point,  but  the  latter  were  more  enterpris- 
ing, and  anticipated  their  rivals  by  making  an  ap- 
pointment with  the  Iroquois  for  a  great  council  at 
Montreal,  in  which  the  Governor-General  of  Canada 
and  others  were  to  have  a  voice.  The  wary  Frenchmen 
presented  their  claims  very  plausibly,  but  failed  to  win 
the  approbation  of  the  equally  wary  Indians.  They 
were  told  that  their  brothers,  the  Englishmen,  had 
been  refused,  and  that  it  was  not  well  to  show  par- 
tiality ;  but  this  excuse  had  very  little  weight  with  the 
subjects  of  the  Grande  Monarque,  who  had  been  ac- 
customed to  make  themselves  at  home  generally.  The 
Governor-General  in  an  impressive  speech  replied  that 
neither  the  Iroquois  nor  the  English  had  any  right  to 
the  land  which  belonged  to  the  King  of  France,  and 
that  an  expedition  had  been  already  sent  out  to  estab- 
lish a  fort  on  the  Detroit  River! 

This  was  indeed  the  case.  La  Motte  Cadillac,  with 
a  Jesuit  missionary  and  one  hundred  men,  was  on  his 
way,  while  his  countrymen,  with  the  consistency  which 
has  ever  marked  the  dealings  between  the  red  and 
white  races,  were  asking  permission  of  the  Indians. 
The  French  fleet,  composed  of  twenty -five  birch  canoes 
bearing  the  colors  of  France,  reached  the  Detroit 
River  in  July,  1701.  There  was  a  telling  significance 
in  the  floating  of  that  flag  over  the  boats  decorated 
with  Indian  symbols  and,  if  the  savages  had  discerned 
it,  the  French  commander  and  his  followers  would 
never  have  reached  their  destination.  As  it  was,  they 


292         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

came  quietly  as  friends,  and  were  allowed  to  establish 
themselves  without  interference. 

On  the  first  rise  of  ground  overlooking  the  river, 
the  palisades  were  raised  and  the  guns  set,  and  by  the 
close  of  August,  Fort  Ponchartrain  became  a  reality. 
The  Miarnis  and  Pottawattomies  were  soon  induced  to 
make  a  settlement  near  by,  and  afterwards  a  few  Huron 
and  Ottawa  bands  collected  on  the  opposite  shore  of 
the  river  near  the  site  of  Windsor.  The  point  quickly 
attracted  the  fur  trader,  being  in  a  direct  line  from 
Michilimackinac  to  Montreal  and  Quebec.  For  sixty- 
two  years  the  French  held  possession  of  Detroit,  profit- 
ing by  her  superior  location,  and  the  friendship  of 
the  Indians,  but  their  day  ended  when  the  sharp  eyes 
of  Wolfe  discovered  the  steep  ascent  to  the  "  Plains  of 
Abraham,"  in  Canada,  and  pointed  a  way  for  British 
supremacy. 

The  Treaty  of  Paris,  which  was  the  outcome  of  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  called  for  the  surrender  of 
all  the  forts  held  by  the  French,  but  news  travelled 
so  slowly  that  when  Captain  Rodgers  with  his  two 
hundred  rangers  came  to  take  possession  of  Fort 
Ponchartrain,  he  found  still  floating  over  it  the  flag  of 
France.  While  on  his  way  to  execute  this  mission, 
he  was  met  by  Pontiac,  the  Ottawa  chief,  who  was 
angered  by  the  transfer  of  claimants  to  his  land,  and 
who  demanded  of  Rodgers  "  what  right  he  had  in 
entering  the  dominion  of  the  great  Indian  King  with- 
out permission."  The  answer  he  received  was  far 
from  satisfactory,  but  he  bided  his  time  to  make  his 
dissatisfaction  felt.  The  same  feeling  was  manifested 
everywhere  by  the  Indian  allies  of  the  French, 
but  their  wrath  was  concentrated  upon  Detroit,  on 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DETROIT.  293 

account   of    its    being   the   great   stronghold   of   the 
West. 

In  1763,  Pontiac  had  arranged  his  famous  scheme 
for  either  annihilating  the  obnoxious  newcomers  or 
driving  them  east  of  the  Alleghenies.  They  did  not 
treat  him  so  considerately  as  the  old  claimants,  and  he 
was  far-seeing  enough  to  realize  the  result.  Aflame 
with  hatred  and  determined  to  save  his  people  from 
the  fate  that  awaited  them,  he  visited  the  great  tribes 
that  were  friendly,  and  sought  their  co-operation. 
In  a  speech  at  the  great  council  held  at  Ecorse  on  the 
twenty-seventh  of  April,  1762,  he  said,  "As  for  these 
English — these  dogs  dressed  in  red  who  have  come 
to  rob  you  of  your  hunting-grounds  and  to  drive  away 
the  game — you  must  lift  the  hatchet  against  them  and 
wipe  them  from  the  face  of  the  earth,"  The  plan 
was  worthy  of  a  Napoleon.  The  confederated  tribes 
were  to  attack  simultaneously  all  the  Western  forts, 
while  his  particular  band  was  to  be  brought  against 
Detroit.  This  point  he  had  expected  to  take  by 
stratagem  and  would  no  doubt  have  succeeded  but 
for  the  betrayal  of  the  plot  by  an  Ojibway  maiden 
who  was  in  love  with  the  British  commandant.  The 
day  before  its  execution  this  Indian  girl  brought  Major 
Gladwyn  a  pair  of  moccasins  which  he  had  asked  her 
to  make  for  him,  and  on  her  way  home  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  deer-skin,  which  he  had  furnished 
for  the  same  purpose,  she  lingered  about  the  gate 
so  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  sentinel.  He 
saw  that  she  seemed  to  be  troubled  about  something, 
and  asked  her  to  return.  Wavering  between  love  and 
duty  to  her  race,  she  hesitated ;  but  finally  the  im- 
pulse of  her  heart  prevailed,  and  returning  to  the 


294         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

room  of  the  commandant,  she  told  him  the  terrible 
secret. 

Pontiac  was  to  come  to  the  fort  on  the  morrow 
ostensibly  to  hold  peaceful  negotiations  with  his  white 
brothers,  but  really  to  massacre  them.  His  warriors, 
who  had  cunningly  shortened  their  rifles  by  sawing  off 
a  part  of  the  barrels,  so  that  they  might  carry  them 
concealed  beneath  their  blankets,  were  to  fall  upon 
Gladwyn  and  his  men  at  a  given  signal.  This  news 
was  lightly  received  although  the  statements  of  the 
Indian  girl  seemed  to  be  verified  by  a  slight  thread  of 
evidence  which  had  from  time  to  time  been  brought 
to  Gladwyn's  notice.  He  laughed  at  the  thought  of 
danger  at  such  a  time,  when  the  peace  which  had 
lasted  for  two  years  appeared  so  likely  to  continue;  but 
while  he  doubted  Pontiac's  real  intentions,  he  decided 
to  be  prepared  for  any  issue.  The  guards  were 
doubled,  sentinels  were  stationed  on  the  ramparts,  and 
when  the  great  chief  came  in  the  guise  of  friendship, 
he  was  completely  nonplussed  by  the  show  of  discipline 
in  the  garrison.  Entering  the  north  gate  with  his 
sixty  blanketed  conspirators,  he  found  himself  con- 
fronted by  a  double  line  of  red-coated  soldiers,  their 
muskets  held  at  "  present  arms."  At  the  corners  of 
the  streets  were  groups  of  fur  traders,  and  at  regular 
intervals  the  silence  was  broken  by  the  beating  of 
drums. 

Surprised  at  every  turn,  and  fearing  that  his  plot 
had  been  discovered,  Pontiac  walked  on  sullenly  en- 
deavoring to  conceal  his  annoyance.  When  he  reached 
the  council-house  he  said  to  Gladwyn,  "  Why  do  I 
see  so  many  of  my  father's  young  men  standing  in  the 
streets  with  their  guns?"  The  commandant  lightly 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DETROIT.  295 

replied  that  he  had  just  been  drilling  them  to  preserve 
discipline  and  that  it  was  moreover  a  custom  with  the 
English  to  thus  honor  their  guests.  These  suavely 
spoken  words  failed  to  reassure  the  chief,  who  sat 
down  for  a  few  moments  without  speaking ;  but  hav- 
ing recovered  his  self-possession  and  assuming  with  it 
an  habitual  expression  of  stoical  defiance,  he  arose  and 
began  his  harangue.  Gladwyn,  he  noticed,  instead  of 
listening  to  what  was  being  said,  kept  his  eyes  stead- 
fastly upon  the  movements  of  the  other  Indians,  and 
when  the  belt  of  wampum  was  taken  up  and  the  chief 
began  to  reverse  it  in  his  hands — the  signal  for  attack 
— Gladwyn  made  a  quick  motion  and  in  an  instant  the 
dusky  semicircle  was  startled  by  the  grounding  of 
arms  and  the  beating  of  drums. 

Thus  interrupted  and  foiled,  Pontiac  took  his  seat 
in  silence.  Gladwyn  then  arose,  and  began  his  speech 
as  though  nothing  unusual  had  occurred ;  but  after  a 
few  moments  he  changed  his  tone,  accused  Pontiac  of 
treachery,  and  stepping  quickly  to  the  nearest  Indian 
threw  open  his  blanket  and  disclosed  the  hidden 
weapon.  He  then  told  Pontiac  to  leave  the  fort  at 
once,  assuring  him  that  he  would  be  allowed  to  go  in 
safety.  The  unfortunate  result  of  this  act  of  clemency 
was  very  soon  felt,  for  as  soon  as  the  Indians  were 
outside  of  the  gates,  they  turned  and  fired  upon  the 
garrison,  thus  beginning  the  terrible  siege  which  was 
to  last  fifteen  months. 

Autumn  approached,  and,  as  the  crops  were  poor, 
several  of  the  tribes  withdrew  for  the  winter,  but 
Pontiac,  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  harass  his  enemies, 
remained,  sending  messages  in  the  meantime  to  several 
of  the  French  posts,  asking  their  help.  In  November 


296          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

he  received  word  from  the  commandant  of  Fort 
Chartres  on  the  Mississippi  telling  him  that  it  was 
impossible  for  the  French  to  give  any  help  as  they 
had  signed  a  treaty  with  the  English ;  and  later 
similar  messages  reached  him  from  other  points.  Still 
he  did  not  give  up.  His  allies  had  captured  eight 
forts,  and  if  he  could  take  Detroit  success  would  un- 
doubtedly follow. 

In  the  spring  the  tribes  returned  to  renew  the  at- 
tack upon  the  well  nigh  exhausted  garrison,  keeping 
up  their  fiendish  tortures,  capturing  vessels  sent  with 
supplies  and  reinforcements,  and  bringing  the  handful 
of  brave  men  within  the  palisades  to  the  verge  of  de- 
spair. As  summer  advanced  the  anxious  watchers, 
hearing  the  sunset  gun  thunder  out  across  the  water, 
thought  that  each  night  might  be  their  last ;  but  off 
iii  the  East,  General  Bradstreet  and  his  large  force 
were  starting  to  the  rescue,  and  by  midsummer  they 
had  crushed  the  hopes,  if  not  the  proud  spirit  of  Pon- 
tiac.  Sending  one  of  his  officers  to  this  chief  with 
terms  of  peace,  his  advances  were  received  with  the 
coldest  disdain.  Captain  Morris,  who  was  the  ambas- 
sador, was  met  beyond  the  Indian  camp  by  Pontiac 
himself,  but  the  chief  refused  to  extend  his  hand,  and 
bending  his  glittering  eyes  upon  the  officer  said,  with 
a  voice  full  of  bitterness  and  hatred,  "The  English 
are  liars!" 

All  attempts  at  conciliation  were  made  in  vain. 
Pontiac,  taking  with  him  four  hundred  warriors,  went 
away,  revisiting  all  the  tribes,  sending  the  wampum 
belt  and  hatchet  stained  with  vermilion  far  and  wide, 
and  exhorting  the  Indians  to  unite  in  the  common 
cause,  threatening,  if  they  refused,  to  consume  them 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DETROIT.  297 

"as  the  fire  consumes  the  dry  grass  of  the  prairie." 
He  failed  to  rouse  them,  however,  and  was  forced  at 
last  to  return  to  Detroit  and  accept  peace. 

The  feelings  that  surged  in  his  savage  heart,  when 
he  found  himself  thus  defeated,  can  only  be  guessed. 
Chagrined  and  disappointed,  he  retired  to  Illinois, 
and  there  perished  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin.  No 
stone  marks  his  burial-place,  "and  the  race  whom  he 
hated  with  such  burning  rancor  trample  with  unceas- 
ing footsteps  over  his  forgotten  grave." 

The  early  history  of  Detroit  is  full  of  tragedy,  and 
although  the  beautiful  river  and  its  islands,  the  splen- 
did forests  and  sunny  fields  that  encompass  it,  seem  to 
have  been  intended  for  peace  and  the  play  of  romance, 
they  were  instead  the  scenes  of  treachery  and  carnage. 
During  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  Detroit  and  Macki- 
naw, far  from  the  field  of  action,  nevertheless  had 
their  share  in  it.  From  their  magazines  Indians  were 
furnished  with  arms  and  ammunition  and  were  sent 
out  with  these  to  harass  and  destroy  the  frontier  settle- 
ments of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and 
Kentucky,  receiving  a  price  upon  their  return  for  the 
scalps  which  they  brought!  Besides  these  Indian  ex- 
peditions, the  local  militia  went  out,  at  one  time  under 
Captain  Byrd,  and  again  under  Henry  Hamilton. 
The  latter,  in  an  attempt  to  protect  the  British  interests 
on  the  Wabash,  was  cleverly  captured  at  Vincennes 
by  General  George  Clarke,  who  advanced  upon  this 
post  with  his  men  supported  by  a  formidable  but 
harmless  device  in  the  form  of  a  cannon  cut  out  of  a 
tree.  Hamilton,  dreading  the  artillery,  surrendered, 
and  the  people  of  Detroit,  believing  that  the  victor 
would  march  against  them,  erected  a  new  fort  near  the 


298         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

present  corner  of  Fort  and  Shelby  streets,  which  they 
named  Lenault.  During  the  war  of  1812,  this  name 
was  changed  and  the  post  became  known  as  Fort 
Shelby. 

After  the  treaty  of  1783  the  western  posts  did  not 
at  once  acknowledge  American  jurisdiction,  and  among 
these  Detroit  seemed  to  be  the  most  defiant,  but  when 
Wayne  effectually  weakened  the  strength  of  the 
Indians,  there  was  a  general  surrender,  although  the 
United  States  forces  did  not  take  actual  possession  until 
July  eleventh,  1796.  With  childish  spite,  the  British, 
upon  leaving  this  fort,  broke  the  windows  of  the 
barracks,  filled  the  wells  with  stones  and  did  all  they 
could  to  annoy  those  who  were  to  succeed  them,  and 
when  General  Hull  came  there  as  governor  of  the 
territory,  it  is  possible  that  the  ruin  which  he  found 
was  occassioned  by  the  same  spirit  of  revenge. 

During  the  succeeding  years,  Detroit  was  again  one 
of  the  points  towards  which  an  iin propitious  fate 
pointed  a  finger.  The  Indians,  still  believing  that  the 
Americans  were  driving  them  from  their  land,  were 
making  preparations  to  attack  the  settlements,  led  on 
by  the  powerful  influence  of  the  two  chiefs,  Tecumseh 
and  the  Prophet. 

At  a  grand  council  the  assembled  tribes  were  told, 
according  to  the  policy  of  these  chiefs,  that  the  Great 
Spirit  had  appeared  to  chief  Trontand  had  told  him 
that  He  was  the  father  of  the  English,  French, 
Spaniards  and  Indians,  but  that  the  Americans  were 
the  sons  of  the  Evil  One  !  Under  such  influence  the 
uprising  which  resulted  in  the  war  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States  began. 

When    General    Brock,    seconded    by    Tecumseh, 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DETROIT.  299 

marched  on  Detroit,  he  requested  of  the  Chief,  in  case 
the  place  was  taken,  that  the  inhabitants  should  be 
spared  massacre,  to  which  the  haughty  savage  replied, 
"that  he  despised  them  too  much  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  them."  The  result  of  this  attack,  and  the  in- 
explicable conduct  of  General  Hull,  had  aroused  a 
strong  feeling  of  disgust,  and  universal  sympathy  was 
felt  for  those  brave  men,  who,  upon  hearing  that  their 
superior  officer  was  surrendering  without  an  attempt  at 
resistance,  "  dashed  their  muskets  upon  the  ground  in 
an  agony  of  mingled  shame  and  indignation." 

Victories  elsewhere  finally  obliged  the  British  to 
evacuate,  and  on  the  eighteenth  of  October,  General 
Harrison  and  Commodore  Perry  issued  a  proclama- 
tion from  this  fort,  which  once  more  assured  the  people 
of  Michigan  of  protection. 

Passing  through  the  test  of  fire  and  sword,  Detroit 
has  gradually  progressed  in  all  those  ways  which  go 
to  make  up  a  great  and  prosperous  city.  Fulfilling 
her  natural  destiny  she  has  become  one  of  the  most 
important  commercial  centres  in  the  United  States, 
and  as  a  port  of  entry  can  boast  with  reason  of  her 
strength.  The  narrow  lanes  which  were  enclosed 
within  the  pickets  of  Fort  Ponchartrain,  and  trodden 
by  men  in  the  French  uniform,  in  English  red  coats 
and  in  the  skins  of  the  deer  and  beaver,  have  reached 
out  over  many  miles,  and  have  become  an  intricate 
maze  of  streets  and  avenues,  lined  with  homes  and 
business  houses  which  bear  no  trace  of  the  old  time 
block  house  and  trader's  cabin. 

Here  and  there,  where  history  is  preserved,  one  finds 
a  few  relics  of  the  "dead  past"  embalmed  in  paint  or 
print  or  labelled  within  the  glass  case  of. a  museum; 

15 


300    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

but  the  present  Detroit  is  interesting  enough  without 
these.  In  every  direction  it  is  brightened  by  parks  and 
adorned  by  fountains;  and  the  broad  avenues  lined  by 
generous  borders  of  grass  and  shaded  by  cool  lines  of 
trees,  are  something  for  Americans  to  be  proud  of, 
especially  when  they  recall  the  fact  that  "Johnny  Cra- 
peau  "  once  asserted  that  this  particular  corner  of  the 
new  world  belonged  to  the  Grande  Monarque ;  and 
"John  Bull "  in  turn  claimed  it  for  his  own. 

One  of  the  prettiest  parts  of  the  city,  and  perhaps 
within  the  possibility  of  description,  is  the  Campus 
Martius.  On  it  stands  the  suggestive  if  somewhat 
unusual  monument  designed  by  Randolph  Rogers 
and  erected  by  the  city  at  a  cost  of  sixty  thousand 
dollars.  The  surmounting  figure  is  that  of  an 
Indian  maiden  representing  the  State,  and  on  the 
tablet  beneath,  the  inscription  tells  us  that  it  was 
placed  there  "in  honor  of  the  martyrs  who  fell  and  the 
heroes  who  fought  in  defence  of  Liberty  and  Union." 
Everywhere  are  evidences  of  a  high  appreciation  of 
beauty  and  comfort,  and  if  the  people  of  Detroit  are 
sometimes  tempted  to  seek  a  change  and  rest  on  some 
of  the  little  island  resorts  of  the  river,  or  on  Lake  St. 
Clair,  it  is  not  because  their  own  homes  are  unattrac- 
tive. Some  one  has  said,  "  if  places  could  speak,  they 
would  describe  people  far  better  than  people  can 
describe  places,"  and  this  is  especially  true  of  this  great 
city.  It  is  impossible  by  words  to  do  it  justice.  The 
public  buildings,  the  thronged  streets,  the  busy  harbor, 
the  shady  avenues,  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated, 
and  there  are  very  few  places  which  will  justify  praise 
and  repay  expectation  more  liberally  than  this  splendid 
City  of  the  Strait. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO. 

(Egtjtjj-fiftt)  SDaj). 

Inkster  House, 

INKSTEK,  MICHIGAN, 

August  4,  1876. 

AYING  before  me  a  lecture  appointment 
at  Ypsilanti,  which,  considering  the  object 
I  had  in  view  through  Michigan,  I  felt 
must  be  met,  I  rode  out  of  Detroit  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  somewhat 
reluctantly  perhaps,but  within  a  very  short 
time  the  love  of  travel  was  again  upon 
me,  and  I  found  myself  easily  reconciled. 
Paul  being  in  the  most  delightful  spirits, 
after  four  days  of  unbroken  rest,  displayed  quite  a 
little  animation  as  I  mounted  him  in  front  of  the 
residence  of  friends  on  Cass  Avenue,  and  when  we 
had  reached  the  open  country,  I  gave  him  the  rein  and 
allowed  him  to  trot  or  gallop,  as  he  felt  inclined. 
The  edge  of  his  impatience  having  worn  off,  he  re- 
sumed his  habitual  easy  canter  which  made  the  saddle 
so  enjoyable,  and  at  this  pace  we  covered  fourteen  miles, 
reaching  our  destination  a  few  minutes  after  six  o'clock. 
There  was  an  agreeable  if  not  decided  contrast  be- 

(303) 


302          OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

tween  the  last  stopping-place  and  the  present  one.  A 
hundred  towers  announced  the  approach  to  a  .great 
city,  as  we  neared  Detroit  ;  but  here  a  solitary  spire  rose 
against  the  sky,  and  while  the  Detroit  River  teems, 
throughout  its  entire  length  with  water-craft  of  all 
sorts,  the  almost  unknown  little  river  that  winds  along 
between  Detroit  and  Inkster,  is  at  this  point  as  quiet 
as  one  of  the  untra  veiled  streams  of  the  North.  The 
Michigan  Central  Railway  follows  its  shore  for  many 
miles,  and  as  I  kept  to  the  highway  in  the  same  direc- 
tion, I  could  see  it  shining  occasionally  through  an 
opening  in  the  trees.  The  waters  of  this  river  are  no 
doubt  full  offish,  as  are  all  the  streams  of  Michigan, 
and  they  have  besides  a  fine  characteristic  —  a  sparkling 
clearness. 


Hawkins  House, 
YPSILANTI,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Fifth. 

A  forbidding  sky  hung  over  Inkster  as  I  took  my 
seat  in  the  saddle  at  ten  o'clock,  but  "  Forward"  was 
the  watchword,  and  there  was  moreover  a  charm  in 
variety,  for  sunny  skies  had  become  rather  monotonous 
and,  under  the  circumstances,  uncomfortable.  The 
dust  was  well  laid  when  we  had  gone  only  a  short 
distance,  but  it  rose  again  in  a  new  form  as  Paul 
quickened  his  pace,  so  that  we  did  not  present  a  very 
dashing  appearance  to  the  Ypsilantians,  after  sixteen 
miles  of  such  travel. 

Several  times  I  was  obliged  to  turn  from  the  road, 
once  taking  shelter  under  a  tree  and  again  in  a  wood- 
shed. There  were  in  town,  however,  those  who  could 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  395 

excuse  the  appearance  of  a  spattered  traveller  —  brave 
men  who  had  gone  from  Ypsilanti  in  the  early  days 
of  the  Rebellion,  and  who  had  learned  from  long  cam- 
paigning to  look  upon  their  comrades  without  criti- 
cism. The  brave  Fourteenth  Infantry  started  out 
from  here  tinder  Colonel  Robert  Sinclair,  and  joining 
Sherman  in  Georgia  took  a  lively  part  in  all  the  move- 
ments of  his  army,  until  the  fall  of  Atlanta  ;  number- 
ing among  their  proudest  achievements  the  repulse  of 
the  enemy  at  Bentonville,  North  Carolina,  where  the 
hurriedly  constructed  works  of  the  Federals  were 
charged  and  taken  and  then  regained  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet  ;  and  their  part  in  the  battle  of  Jonesboro, 
Georgia,  in  1864,  which  was  the  last  of  Sherman's 
brilliant  operations  around  Atlanta.  Many  of  these 
brave  fellows  perished  on  the  field  of  battle,  but 
enough  remain  to  keep  fresh  the  memory  of  those 
stirring  days  and  to  add  the  influence  of  their  patriot- 
ism to  the  young  Ypsilanti. 


Hawkins  House, 
YPSILANTI,  MICHIGAN, 
August  Sixth. 

On  the  previous  evening  I  met  a  large  number  of 
men  of  the  town,  who  gave  me  a  hearty  welcome,  and 
as  many  of  them  were  old  soldiers,  they  expressed 
their  satisfaction  with  the  purpose  of  my  lecture, 
favoring  me  with  considerable  enthusiasm  in  Union 
Hall. 

The  patriots  of  Michigan  have  many  proud  deeds  to 
tell  of,  and  are  distinguished  for  their  gallant  service. 


30'j         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Their  military  leaders  were  invariably  zealous,  and 
their  civil  leaders  unceasing  in  their  encouragement. 
"  We  cannot  consent  to  have  one  star  obliterated  from 
our  flag"  was  the  sentiment,  and  with  the  saving  of 
the  Union  at  heart,  the  men  went  into  battle. 

During  Wheeler's  repulse  at  Strawberry  Plains  in 
August,  1864,  eight  Michigan  men  were  left  to  guard 
McMillan's  Ford  on  the  Halston.  •  One  of  these, 
knowing  the  danger  of  his  position,  deserted,  leaving 
his  seven  companions  to  "  hold  the  fort."  This  hand- 
ful kept  back  a  brigade  under  the  Confederate  general 
almost  four  hours,  but  the  Rebels  crossed  above  and 
below  the  ford  and  captured  the  guard.  One  of  their 
number,  a  farrier,  was  wounded,  and  Wheeler  coming 
up  to  him  began  a  conversation.  Finally  Wheeler 
said,  "Are  all  the  Tenth  Michigan  like  you  fellows?" 
"Oh,  no,"  said  the  other,  "  we  are  mostly  horse  farriers 
and  blacksmiths  and  not  much  accustomed  to  fighting." 
"  Well,"  said  Wheeler,  "  if  I  had  three  hundred  such 
men  as  you,  I  could  march  straight  through  h  —  1  !  " 


McKune  House, 
CHELSEA,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Seventh. 

Left  Ypsilanti  bright  and  early  in  order  to  save 
time,  for  although  nearly  the  middle  of  August,  I  still 
felt  the  intense  heat,  and  the  dry  dusty  roads  often 
made  my  daily  journeys  far  from  agreeable.  For 
several  days  the  mercury  ranged  between  85°  and  90°, 
and  as  the  route  was  at  this  time  due  west,  the  sun 
nearly  stared  me  out  of  countenance  in  the  afternoon. 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  397 

Ann  Arbor  was  reached  about  ten  o'clock,  but  I  did 
not  take  more  than  a  passing  glance  at  the  University, 
noticing,  however,  that  women  as  well  as  men  were 
among  the  students — a  recent  and  wise  change  in  the 
law  of  the  institution.  The  people  were  raising  H 
flag  over  one  of  the  buildings  as  I  rode  through,  and 
on  it  in  conspicuous  letters  were  the  names  of  Tilden 
and  Hendricks. 

Delhi,  with  no  signs  of  a  Lalla  Rookh,  and  Scio, 
modest  under  the  dignity  of  its  suggestive  Latin  name, 
were  quaint  landmarks  along  my  way,  but  I  rode  on 
a  mile  beyond  to  have  dinner  at  Dexter.  The  Huron 
River  has  its  source  near  here,  in  one  of  a  cluster  of 
lakelets,  bordering  on  Livingstone  and  Washtenaw 
counties.  All  Michigan  is  covered  with  these  small 
bodies  of  water,  which,  with  the  streams,  lie  upon  its 
green  surface  like  pearls  in  a  network  of  silver. 

Leaving  Dexter,  I  had  company  all  the  way  to 
Chelsea.  Large  flocks  of  sparrows  flew  along,  lighting 
upon  the  telegraph  wires,  and  as  I  approached  they 
would  fly  away  and  settle  again  farther  along,  keeping 
up  a  kind  of  race,  which  was  evidently  fun  for  them, 
and  which  greatly  amused  me.  It  seemed  as  though 
they  were  tireless,  and  when  I  and  my  horse  reached 
our  destination  fatigued,  after  twenty-six  miles  of 
travel  in  the  sun,  these  strong-winged  fellows  were 
ready  for  another  flight.  I  do  not  doubt  that  they 
easily  accomplished  the  return  journey,  for  we  cannot 
compute  the  distance  they  can  cover  in  a  day.  They 
are  hardy  little  fellows  and,  despite  the  objections  urged 
against  them,  have  many  admirable  qualities,  not  the 
least  among  which  is  their  tenacity  of  purpose. 


308        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

<£ujl)tj3-nmtl)  Slag. 

Hurd  House, 
JACKSON,  MICHIGAN 
August  Eighth. 

A  few  minutes  after  seven  in  the  morning  found  mo 
in  the  saddle  at  Chelsea.  I  stopped  on  my  way  at  the 
Herald  office  and  then  struck  off  towards  the  main 
road,  along  which  I  cantered  to  Grass  Lake,  where  1 
had  dinner  and  remained  until  three  o'clock.  This 
rest  was  thoroughly  enjoyed,  the  more  so  perhaps,  as  I 
learned  before  leaving  Chelsea  that  if  my  advance 
agents  had  not  made  arrangements  for  me  elsewhere, 
the  people  would  have  asked  me  to  lecture  here.  In 
that  event  I  should  not  have  been  so  familiar  with 
the  quiet  charms  of  Grass  Lake. 

Probably  there  are  those  who,  if  they  had  been  in 
my  place,  would  have  denied  themselves  these  halts 
along  the  way,  but  they  would  have  been  deprived  of 
a  double  gratification.  In  the  first  place  they  would 
miss  much  of  the  character  of  the  country  through 
which  they  passed,  the  real  difference  in  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  people ;  and  they  would  miss  the 
opportunity  of  assuring  the  credulous  that  they  were 
not  making  a  test  ride  across  the  continent  within  a 
certain  time  and  for  a  certain  reward. 

News  often  travels  incredibly  fast  when  there  are  no 
evident  means  of  communication,  and  I  was  often 
amused  by  the  curiosity  which  my  advent  excited 
and  the  reasons  which  were  whispered  about  in  the 
villages  through  which  I  passed,  as  to  the  object  of 
my  journey.  Indeed  many  Michiganders,  from  quiet 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  30.) 

haunts  in  their  native  wilds,  made  short  pilgrimages 
"  to  town  "  in  order  to  look  at  one  whom  they  fancied 
might  hold  a  proud  place  for  having  crossed  the 
continent  in  so  many  days,  hours  and  seconds.  My 
horse  even  was  looked  upon  with  awe,  as  "  the  charger 
upon  which  General  Washington  rode  during  the  war 
of  the  Revolution  !  "  But  this  anachronism  belongs 
to  New  York. 

Leaving  Grass  Lake  late  in  the  afternoon,  it  was 
necessary  to  make  better  time  in  order  to  cover  the 
remainder  of  the  twenty  three  miles  lying  between 
Chelsea  and  Jackson.  The  pace  quickened.  I  came 
into  the  latter  city  at  six  o'clock,  and  rode  directly  to 
the  hotel. 

•Nmetktl)  Slag. 

Hurd  House, 

JACKSON,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Ninth. 

I  clipped  the  following  notice  from  the  Citizen,  of 
this  date,  as  a  memento  of  my  stay  at  Jackson.  It 
chronicled  the  fact  that : 

"  Captain  Willard  Glazier  lectured  last  evening  in  the  interest  of 
the  Custer  Monument  Fund.  His  lecture  was  a  good  historical 
review  delivered  with  graceful  rhetoric  and  at  times  real  eloquence. 
The  Captain  is  still  in  the  city  giving  his  horse  a  rest;  a  noble 
Kentucky  Black  Hawk,  whom  he  has  ridden  all  the  way  from 
Boston,  and  whom  he  expects  to  carry  him  to  San  Francisco.  He 
starts  to-morrow  morning  for  Battle  Creek,  where  he  lectures  on 
Saturday  evening." 

My  advance  agent,  Babcock,  went  on  to  Battle  Creek 
in  the  morning,  where  arrangements  were  made  witli 
local  committees  for  my  lecture  on  the  twelfth.  After 
he  had  gone  I  made  a  leisurely  inspection  of  the 


310         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

city.  It  was  impossible  to  do  more  on  account  of  the 
extreme  heat. 

This  may  no  doubt  be  considered  the  center  of  the 
closely  populated  southern  end  of  Michigan,  a  region 
dear,  in  times  past,  to  the  heart  of  the  Indian,  but 
which  knows  him  no  more.  A  Chippewa  chief  stand- 
ing upon  this  soil,  once  said  :  "  These  lakes,  these 
woods,  these  mountains  were  left  to  us  by  our  ancestors ; 
they  are  our  inheritance,  and  we  will  part  with  them 
to  no  one."  He  knew  not  the  strength  of  the  pale 
faces  who  listened ;  for  within  a  few  years  they  were 
ready  to  claim,  on  the  same  grounds,  those  hills,  and 
lakes,  and  mountains  for  their  own. 

Compared  to  the  peninsula,  whose  mineral-laden 
shores  are  washed  by  Superior,  Michigan  and  Huron, 
there  is  the  greatest  contrast ;  and  La  Hontan,  making 
a  little  exploratory  trip  up  there  before  anyone  else, 
called  it  "the  fag  end  of  the  world."  These  words 
might  still  be  applied  to  some  of  the  wildest  northern 
points,  but  here  is  the  very  heart  of  civilization. 

Jackson  lies  in  the  coal  fields  that  reach  down 
through  several  of  the  southern  counties.  This  deposit 
is  not  rich,  owing  to  the  amount  of  sulphur  in  it,  and 
the  demand  is  chiefly  local.  The  Grand  River  divides 
the  town  and,  with  the  bridge  that  spans  it,  adds  much 
to  the  picturesque  effect. 


Slag. 


Cooley  House, 

PARMA,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Tenth. 


Spent  the  forenoon  in  my  room  at  the  Hurd  House, 
Jackson,  writing  letters  to  my   wife,  Major  Hastings 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  31 1 

and  others.  In  the  afternoon  there  was  a  street  parade 
of  Howe's  London  Circus  which  was  a  very  fantastic 
affair,  but  which  seemed  to  be  hugely  enjoyed  by 
everybody.  Later  in  the  day  the  great  tent  was  upset 
by  a  gust  of  wind,  accompanied  by  a  thunder-shower, 
and  a  droll  scene  followed,  which  caused  considerable 
excitement.  The  people  were  left  exposed  with  the 
rain  coming  down  upon  them  in  torrents.  So  far  I 
have  seen  nothing  more  amusing  than  the  country  boys 
and  girls  rushing  up  town  drenched,  and  for  once  at 
least  indifferent  to  the  charms  of  the  "  big  show." 

The  storm  having  passed,  I  ordered  Paul  after 
supper,  rode  down  to  the  office  of  the  Patriot  and 
Citizen,  and  after  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with 
the  editor,  hurried  on  toward  Parma,  which  was 
reached  late  in  the  evening.  The  ride  in  the  dark 
was  cool,  but  somewhat  lonely. 

It  was  probably  on  such  nights  as  this  that  young 
Dean^the  enterprising  settler  of  years  ago,  played  his 
nocturnal  tricks  upon  his  neighbors.  He  came  out  to 
Michigan  when  it  was  a  wilderness,  to  make  his 
fortune  by  clearing  land  at  ten  dollars  an  acre,  and 
while  he  was  drudging  he  expected  to  have  a  little  fun. 
It  was  his  habit  to  work  away  all  day  chopping  trees 
within  an  inch  of  the  falling  point,  and  then  about  ten 
o'clock,  when  the  settlers  were  well  asleep,  to  go  out 
and  give  a  blow  to  the  end  tree,  so  that  it  would  fall 
against  the  others  and  send  them  crashing  like  a  row 
of  ninepins.  How  the  old  forests  must  have  rung 
with  their  thundering  and  how  that  plotter  Dean  must 
have  relished  his  mischief! 

As  I  approached  Parma,  in  the  darkness  I  could  see 
nothing  about  the  village  to  suggest  that  other  Parma, 


312        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

far  away  under  an  Italian  sky,  but  there  is  a  re- 
semblance, for  the  European  duchy  and  its  modest 
American  namesake  both  lie  in  a  rich  agricultural 
region;  and  if  I  mistake  not  the  dull  white  freestone 
that  is  quarried  here  in  such  large  quantities,  finds  a 
prototype  over  the  sea. 


Witt  House, 

MARSHALL,  MICHIGAN, 
August  Eleventh. 

As  there  was  a  heavy  rainfall  in  the  morning,  I 
waited  in  Parma  until  nearly  ten  o'clock,  and  even 
then  was  obliged  to  start  in  a  thunder-shower  in 
order  to  keep  my  appointment  for  the  following 
evening  at  Battle  Creek.  This  required  no  sacrifice, 
for,  excepting  the  discomfort  of  wet  clothes,  the  change 
was  agreeable.  I  reached  Albion  in  time  for  dinner, 
and  immediately  made  myself  comfortable  at  the  hotel. 
Rest  and  refreshment  having  the  desired  effect,  I  after- 
ward took  a  short  stroll  through  the  town,  which  I 
found  very  wide  awake,  although  the  Methodist 
college,  the  life  of  the  place,  was  still  closed  for  the 
summer  vacation.  In  the  meantime  the  men  of  the 
village  had  met,  and  before  I  remounted,  came  to  me 
and  persuaded  me  to  return  by  rail  and  deliver  the 
Custer  lecture  on  the  fifteenth.  Glad  to  do  all  I 
could  for  theuBenefit  Fund/'I  readily  consented  and 
started  away  with  the  good  wishes  of  the  impromptu 
committee.  Marshall,  being  only  twelve  miles  beyond, 
was  reached  early  in  the  evening,  so  that  before  dark  I 
had  time  to  get  a  mental'picture  of  the  place.  Calhoun 


Hi: 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  315 

County  has  its  capitol  here,  and  in  1853  it  was  looked 
upon  as  one  of  the  most  flourishing  towns  in  Michigan. 
It  has  not  reached  the  predicted  pinnacle  of  importance, 
but  it  has  a  pleasant  situation,  some  flourishing  flour 
mills,  and  is  altogether  a  credit  to  the  "  Wolverines/' 


Potter  House, 

BATTLE  CREEK,  MICHIGAN, 
August  Twelfth. 

As  soon  as  Paul  was  led  out  in  front  of  the  Witt 
House  at  Marshall,  a  large  crowd  gathered  about  us; 
and  when  I  had  taken  my  seat  in  the  saddle,  one  of 
the  number  stepped  forward  in  behalf  of  the  towns- 
people to  invite  me  to  return  at  a  time  which  had 
previously  been  agreed  upon  and  lecture  on  the  heroes 
of  the  ..Revolution.  Giving  them'the  best  promise  I 
could,  I  hurried  away  as  I  had  a  good  six  hours'  ride 
before  me. 

Since  the  day  before  there  had  been  a  decided  change 
in  the  weather.  The  sun  blazed  down  with  almost 
tropical  heat,  drying  up  the  roads  and  making  my  way 
a  veritable  fiery  furnace.  I  had  a  rare  opportunity 
for  watching  "Old  Sol"  on  these  solitary  rides,  as  he  ap- 
peared unfailingly  in  the  morning,  swung  through  the 
heavens,  and  vanished  in  the  west  at  night.  It  was 
now  harvest  time,  and  since  that  early  day  in  May  on 
which  I  started  westward,  I  had  kept  my  eye  on  him 
like  a  true  worshipper,  half  understanding  the  pagan 
with  his  devotion  to  Apollo,  and  half  in  sympathy 
with  the  Indian  who  greets  the  Sun-god  and  weaves 


316         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  splendid  symbol  into  pouch  and  canoe  and  mocas- 
sin. Between  the  hours  of  ten  and  four  particularly 
the  heat  was  intense,  but  in  other  respects  the  day  was 
uneventful. 


Private  House, 

BATTLE  CREEK,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Thirteenth. 

On  the  preceding  evening  a  full  house  greeted  me 
at  Stuart's  Hall,  where  I  was  introduced  by  a  comrade 
of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Lieutenant  Eugene  T.  Freeman. 
After  the  lecture  I  met  several  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  town  and  later  was  invited  to  a  private  residence, 
where  I  was  made  at  home  during  the  remainder  of 
my  stay.  The  Lieutenant  called  for  me  on  Sunday 
morning,  and  I  accompanied  him  to  church,  meeting 
the  pastor,  Rev.  L.  D.  Palmer,  who  spoke  with  anima- 
tion and  warmth  and  made  the  service  an  effective  one. 
I  enjoyed  it  all  the  more  perhaps  as  I  realized  that  be- 
fore many  Sundays  I  would  be  on  the  Great  Plains  be- 
yond the  Mississippi,  where  churches  are  known  to  be 
very  rare.  Continuing  his  courtesies,  my  comrade  friend 
drove  me  out  to  the  favorite  resort,  Lake  Goguac,  in 
the  afternoon  and  there  I  had  several  fine  views  of 
the  surrounding  country.  This  little  incident  suggests 
an  interesting  theory  concerning  one  of  the  pre-historic 
races  who  are  supposed  to  have  occupied  f'i is  section 
of  the  country.  It  seems  that  in  the  ancient  symbolic 
manuscripts  of  the  Aztecs  frequent  mention  is  made  of 
a  land  which  they  called  Aztelan,  compounded  of  the 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  317 

symbols  A.  T.  S.  and  signifying  "  Lake  Country,"  from 
which  also  their  own  name  is  derived,  making  it  to 
mean  "the  people  of  the  lake  country."  They  refer 
to  their  former  home  as  a  country  lying  towards  the 
north  and  giving  further  details  which  might  be 
descriptive  of  the  Peninsular  State  —  so  the  theorist 
thinks.  As  a  coincident,  but  advanced  nevertheless 
as  a  strong  argument,  the  learned  gentleman  states 
that  the  Wyandots  have  a  tradition  to  the  effect  that 
hundreds  of  years  ago,  the  builders  of  the  mounds 
were  driven  southward  by  invaders  from  the  north- 
east ;  and  pursuing  the  magic  thread,  he  suggests  that 
the  Aztecs  were  usurpers  in  Mexico  according  to  their 
own  traditions  and  the  corroboration  of  Spanish 
history.  If  this  is  the  case,  my  comrade  and  myself, 
in  visiting  this  pretty  little  lake,  may  have  trodden 
upon  the  same  soil  which  had  been  pressed  by  the 
feet  of  the  mysterious  builders  of  the  mounds.  I  am 
personally  a  trifle  sceptical  on  this  point,  and  believe 
that  the  key  to  this  part  of  ancient  history  is  yet  to  be 
found. 


Jliwtti-ftftl) 


Kalamazoo  House, 

KALAMAZOO,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Fourteenth. 


On  this  day  I  passed  a  fine  wheat-growing  section 
in  the  valley  of  the  Kalamazoo,  whose  richest  part  is 
probably  near  the  Big  Village  —  its  namesake.  This 
river,  which  drains  Hillsdale,  Kalamazoo,  Calhoun 
and  Allegan  counties,  and  is  navigable  for  forty  miles 
above  its  mouth,  has,  I  believe,  more  traffic  than  any 


318          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

one  of  the  rivers  of  Michigan.  Throughout  its  length 
of  two  hundred  miles  it  flows  through  pine  and  oak 
forests,  through  the  richest  section  of  a  State  famed  for 
its  agricultural  products,  and  like  the  Nile,  if  I  may  so 
compare  the  relics  of  a  great  people  with  those  of  one 
comparatively  unknown,  is  looked  down  upon  by  the 
silent  monuments  of  the  past.  To  me  the  comparison 
is  not  unreasonable,  for  I  consider  the  tumuli  of  those 
mound-builders  scattered  over  the  hills  and  valleys  of 
America,  worthy  of  as  much  interest  and  respect 
as  the  more  splendid  remnants  of  a  higher  civil- 
ization. 

At  this  point  the  stream  is  still  broad  and  picturesque. 
As  to  its  name  I  am  undecided.  According  to  some 
it  is  a  corruption  of  Ke-Kenemazoo,  meaning  "  the 
boiling  pot/7  and  according  toothers  of  Kik-alamazoo, 
"  the  mirage  river,  "  because  to  the  fanciful  Indian  the 
stones  that  jutted,  dark  and  wet,  out  of  the  river-bed 
looked  like  otters.  The  village  on  its  banks  was  settled 
in  1829,  and  after  being  known  for  two  years  by  the 
name  of  its  first  settler,  Bronson,  became,  in  1836, 
Kalarnazoo.  It  is  thoroughly  alive,  has  a  population 
of  about  18,000,  and  its  position  as  the  half-way  place 
between  Detroit  and  Chicago  adds  considerably  to  its 
importance.  I  lectured  here  to  a  full  house,  being 
introduced  by  Major  R.  F.  Judson,  formerly  of 
General  Ouster's  staff,  and  bearing  a  high  reputation 
as  a  soldier.  Intercourse  with  one  who  had  known 
the  General  so  well,  and  who  held  him  in  such  loyal 
regard,  gave  me  a  new  insight  into  the  life  of 

"  That  mighty  man  of  war, 
A  lion  in  the  battle,  and  a  child  by  the  fireside." 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  319 

JTnutg-sUtl)  E^. 

Albion  House, 

ALBION,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Fifteenth. 

I  came  back  to  this  place  from  Kalamazoo  on  the 
afternoon  train  and  was  met  at  the  station  by  R.  A. 
Daniels,  who  went  with  me  to  the  hotel.  The  intro- 
duction at  the  Opera  House  where  I  lectured  in  the 
evening  was  made  by  Captain  Rienzi  Loud.  When  I 
concluded,  I  found  that  the  good  old  custom  of  "  pas- 
sing round  the  hat"  had  not  yet  lost  favor,  for  two 
gentlemen,  having  furnished  the  "  hat,"  assumed  the 
role  of  collectors  and  the  "Fund"  was  within  a  very 
short  time  substantially  increased.  When  this  cere- 
mony was  over  a  man  in  the  audience  rose  and  said  : 
"  Captain  Glazier !  I  came  in  after  the  hat  was  passed, 
but  I  want  to  give  something  toward  the 'Monument;"' 
and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word  he  made  his  contri- 
bution. The  whole  ceremony  was  so  suggestive  of  a 
certain  little  church  up  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  New 
York,  where  the  same  custom  prevails  on  Sundays, 
that  I  came  very  near  fancying  myself  the  parson,  and 
if  some  of  my  comrades  had  not  come  up  immediately 
and  given  me  a  hearty  greeting,  I  might  have  been 
guilty  of  pronouncing  a  benediction  ! 

As  it  was  quite  late  when  I  reached  this  point,  hav- 
ing made  twenty-five  miles  since  ten  o'clock,  there 
was  very  little  time  for  sightseeing,  but  I  learned  that 
here  was  the  seat  of  Ames  College,  a  thriving  Methodist 
institution  admitting  both  men  and  women,  and 
proudly  referred  to  by  the  people  of  Albion. 

16 


320'    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 


72  West  Main  Street, 
BATTLE  CREEK,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Sixteenth. 

Called  at  Captain  Loud's  law  office  at  Albion  in  the 
morning,  and  had  a  delightful  chat  over  old  times, 
our  topic  an  inexhaustible  one — the  battles  and  incidents 
of  the  late  war.  As  this  town  was  only  a  short  dis- 
tance away,  I  was  tempted  to  prolong  the  chat  into  a 
visit,  finding  the  Captain  a  cordial  comrade. 

According  to  previous  agreement  I  lectured  in  the 
evening  at  Wayne  Hall,  Marshall,  having  an  intro- 
duction by  Colonel  Charles  W.  Dickie. 

My  horse  was  now  in  Michigan  City,  being  treated 
for  the  sore  on  his  back  by  an  old  comrade,  who  since 
the  war  had  attained  quite  a  reputation  as  a  veterinary 
surgeon.  The  delay  was  somewhat  annoying  as  I 
anticipated  trouble  in  crossing  the  Rockies,  if  I  did 
not  reach  them  before  the  season  was  too  far  advanced  ; 
but  there  was  a  possibility  of  disabling  the  animal  if 
his  affliction  were  neglected,  and  my  sympathies  were 
with  him.  As  the  delay  could  not  be  avoided  I 
availed  myself  of  the  "Iron  Horse"  and  on  it  made 
brief  tours  to  the  neighboring  towns. 

At  this  time  it  was  very  easy  to  agree  with  the  theory 
of  the  fatalist  that  "  whatever  is,  is  right,"  for  by  an 
accident  I  was  enabled  (o  meet  more  agreeable  people, 
to  enjoy  their  hospitality,  and  to  see  more,  which  was 
my  chief  purpose  in  crossing  the  continent. 

A  philosopher  never  worries  about  little  hindrances, 
for  he  soon  learns  that  a  delay  often  proves  to  be 
an  advantage.  Such  was  my  case. 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  323 

•N'metg-rigljtl)  SDag. 

72  West  Main  Street, 

BATTLE  CREEK,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Seventeenth. 

Soon  after  breakfast  I  left  Marshall  for  Battle  Creek 
on  a  freight  train,  as  there  were  no  passenger  coaches 
over  the  road  until  the  afternoon.  This  mode  of 
travel,  if  not  the  most  luxurious,  was  at  least  novel, 
and  we  made  very  good  time.  Between  the  two 
places  the  face  of  the  country  hardly  changed  in  ap- 
pearance. There  were  the  same  fields  of  wheat  and 
corn,  and  at  Battle  Creek  evidently  as  much  business 
in  the  flour  mills  as  at  Marshall. 

The  creek,  uniting  here  with  the  Kalamazoo,  after 
a  serpentine  course  of  forty  miles,  supplies  the  water- 
power  and  gives  the  necessary  impetus  to  trade. 

I  have  heard  that  the  tributary  won  its  bellicose 
name  through  a  little  difficulty  between  the  first  sur- 
veyors of  public  land  who  came  to  mark  this  section 
and  some  Indians.  The  quarrel  ended  seriously,  and, 
as  the  tradition  goes,  two  of  the  Indians  were  killed. 

It  may  have  been  that  the  latter  were  making  an 
attempt  to  hold  the  ground,  and  that  it  was  but  one 
of  the  many  similar  occurrences  which  were  to  convince 
the  red  man  that  he  was  superfluous.  Calhoun 
County  was  certainly  worth  making  a  stand  for.  Its 
soil  was  rich,  providing  abundantly  for  the  simple 
wants  of  the  savage,  and  in  the  clear  waters  of  the  St. 
Joseph  and  the  Kalamazoo  tributaries  many  a  paddle 
had  descended  with  a  deft  stroke,  upon  the  gleaming 
back  of  pike  and  pickerel. 


324         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK 


32  Portage  Street, 

KALAMAZOO,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Eighteenth. 

At  nine  o'clock  I  was  once  more  on  Paul's  back 
possessed  of  a  stronger  sense  of  satisfaction  than  had 
been  mine  for  many  days.  The  truth  is,  I  had  missed 
my  four-legged  companion  sorely.  Reached  Augusta 
at  noon.  I  had  a  good  old-fashioned  dinner,  and  the 
horse  something  that  was  quite  satisfactory,  and  at 
four  o'clock  we  started  on  again  for  Kalarnazoo.  Soon 
after  I  left  the  village  a  thunder-shower  came  up,  but 
there  was  a  convenient  tree  at  hand  and  we  were  not 
slow  in  reaching  it.  Thinking  that  all  was  well  I 
again  put  spur  to  Paul  and  we  started  forward,  this 
time  coming  in  sight  of  the  little  village  of  Comstock, 
three  miles  east  of  Kalamazoo,  before  our  progress 
was  interrupted.  Off  in  the  distance  the  warning 
whistle  of  an  approaching  train  broke  in  upon  the 
stillness ;  the  familiar  rumble  of  wheels  followed, 
and  in  a  moment  more,  as  it  was  rushing  by,  Paul 
made  a  leap  of  forty  feet  over  the  embankment. 
He  was  good  enough  to  leave  me  and  the  saddle  be- 
hind. It  was  a  narrow  escape  and  I  was  severely 
stunned,  but  was  soon  up  again  getting  my  bear- 
ings. I  found  my  horse  standing  in  the  stream 
stripped  of  everything  except  the  bridle,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  a  slight  trace  of  nervousness  in  him,  look- 
ing as  though  nothing  unusual  had  occurred.  We 
reached  Kalarnazoo  a  little  later,  and  there  I  wrote  to 
Mr.  Bulkley  as  follows: 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  325 

Kalamazoo  House, 
KALAMAZOO,  MICHIGAN, 

August  18,  1876. 
J.  M.  BULKLEY,  ESQ., 

Secretary  Ouster  Monument  Association, 
Monroe ,  Michigan. 

DEAR  SIR: — I  have  the  pleasure  of  transmitting  to  Judge  Wing, 
through  Major  R.  F.  Judson,  the  net  proceeds  of  my  lecture,  de- 
livered in  this  place  on  the  evening  of  the  sixteenth  instant.  I  de- 
sire to  accompany  my  gift  with  an  acknowledgment  of  many 
courtesies  extended  by  the  press  and  band  of  this  patriotic  village. 
I  resume  my  journey  this  afternoon  and  shall  speak  at  Niles,  South 
Bend,  and  Laporte  before  the  close  of  the  present  week.  Hoping 
that  your  brightest  anticipations  for  the  "Monument"  may  be  most 
fully  realized,  I  remain 

Very  sincerely  yours,        WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

This  letter  I  preserved,  as  I  wished  to  have  all  the 
correspondence  upon  the  subject  of  the  "Monument  "for 
future  reference. 

©ue  djunurebtl)  JBaj). 

Dyckman  House, 

PAW  PAW,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Nineteenth. 

Had  an  early  breakfast  at  Kalamazoo.  Ordered 
Paul,  and  mounting  him  rode  through  the  Big  Village 
to  take  a  last  look.  Before  leaving  I  called  upon  Major 
Judson  and  Colonel  F.  W.  Curtenius.  The  latter  of 
whom  has  had  a  brilliant  career.  Graduating  from  Ham- 
ilton College  in  1823,  he  studied. law  and  later  went  to 
South  America,  enlisting  in  the  cause  of  the  Brazil- 
ians. He  served  through  the  war  with  Mexico,  was 
appointed  adjutant-general  of  Michigan  in  1855, 
holding  this  office  until  1861,  having  received  the 
high  title  of  Senator  in  1853  and  being  re-elected  to 
the  office  in  1867.  The  Colonel's  father  was  a  general 


OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  for  many  years  a  member 
of  the  New  York  Legislature.  I  arn  only  familiar 
with  Major  Judson's  military  record,  but  his  services 
as  a  citizen  are  no  doubt  as  honorable  as  was  his 
career  as  a  soldier. 

With  these  gentlemen  I  entrusted  the  proceeds  of 
my  lecture  and  the  letter  to  Mr.  Bulkley,  with  the  re- 
quest that  they  be  transmitted  to  the  Monument  As- 
sociation at  Monroe.  They  expressed  their  apprecia- 
tion of  my  gift  in  warm  terms  and  handed  me  the 
following  acknowledgments : 

KALAMAZOO,  MICHIGAN, 
August  19,  1876. 

Received  of  Captain  Willard  Glazier  the  net  proceeds  of  his 
lecture  at  this  place,  which  sum  is  to  be  applied  to  the  fund  for  the 
erection  of  a  Monument  to  the  memory  of  the  late  General  Custer  at 
Monroe  City,  Michigan.  We  take  great  pleasure  in  speaking  of 
Captain  Glazier  in  the  highest  terms,  not  only  on  account  of  the  self- 
devotion  he  has  manifested  in  a  noble  cause,  but  of  his  indomitable 
perseverance  and  energy.  We  trust  he  will,  wherever  lie  goes,  re- 
ceive the  unanimous  support  of  the  citizens  whom  he  addresses. 

F.  W.  CURTENIUS, 
Late  Colonel  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

I  take  great  pleasure  in  fully  endorsing  the  above,  and  recom- 
mending to  public  confidence  and  support  Captain  Willard  Glazier, 
in  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Custer  Monument  Association, 

R.  F.  JUDSON, 
Late  Aide  to  General  Custer. 

With  an  exchange  of  salutations  and  good  wishes 
from  the  friends  whose  courtesy  I  considered  it  an 
honor  to  receive,  I  left  Kalamazoo  for  Paw  Paw. 
The  ride  between  these  towns  was  unusually  trying. 
Paul's  back  was  still  tender,  the  heat  was  intense,  and 
under  these  circumstances  it  was  necessary  to  cover 
fourteen  miles  before  any  refreshment  could  be  had. 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  327 

©ne  djunbreb  anft  .first  IDag. 

Dyckman  House, 

PAW  PAW,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Twentieth. 

This  Sunday  was  a  perfect  day  for  rest,  and  I  in- 
dulged  in  a  generous  amount.  Had  breakfast  at 
eight  o'clock,  after  which  I  strolled  through  the 
streets  of  the  Van  Buren  County  capital,  finding  them 
generally  like  all  other  village  streets,  but  with  enough 
individuality  about  them  to  make  them  interesting. 
The  High  School  stood,  with  the  usual  dignity  of  edu- 
cational institutions,  prominent  among  the  neatcottages, 
and  in  the  business  portion  two  or  three  newspaper 
offices  gave  unfailing  proof  of  local  alertness. 

The  east  and  west  branches  of  the  Paw  Paw  River 
meet  here  and  hurry  on  to  pay  their  tribute  to  the 
Kahunuzoo,  offering  their  united  strength  to  the  busi- 
ness concerns  which  man  has  erected  on  their  shores. 
The  outlying  farms  thus  naturally  irrigated  are  very 
rich,  and  give,  with  the  extensive  lumbering  interests, 
a  very  flourishing  and  prosperous  appearance  to  this 
section  of  country  and  a  certain  briskness  to  the  trade 
at  Paw  Paw. 

On  returning  to  my  room  I  copied  the  testimonials 
given  me  by  Colonel  Curtenius  and  Major  Judson  of 
Kalamazoo,  wrote  several  letters,  attended  to  some 
neglected  dates  in  my  journal,  and  made  my  plans  for 
the  next  few  days.  It  was  my  intention  to  go  to 
South  Bend  by  rail  the  following  morning,  to  lecture 
there  in  the  evening  and  then  proceed  to  Grand 
Rapids,  where  I  was  announced  for  Tuesday.  My 


328         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

horse  was  in  the  meantime  undergoing  new  and 
vigorous  treatment  which  I  hoped  would  permanently 
cure  him. 

©HE  Jjjunford  cmft  Seconb  Slag. 

Grand  Central  Hotel, 
SOUTH  BEND,  INDIANA, 

August  Twenty -fir st. 

At  ten  o'clock  I  left  Paw  Paw,  reached  Decatur  at 
noon,  registered  at  the  Duncombe  House  and  then 
continued  my  journey  by  rail.  I  hardly  realized  that 
I  was  out  of  Michigan  in  this  town  on  the  St.  Joseph, 
for  the  river  belongs  to  the  "Wolverines77  with  the 
exception  of  the  capricious  South  Bend,  arid  the  streets 
have  the  breadth  and  abundance  of  shade  that  have 
won  so  much  admiration  for  the  cities  of  Michigan. 
It  has,  besides,  the  Hoosier  enterprise,  and  began  to 
be  an  important  manufacturing  place  fifteen  years  ago. 
The  first  settlement  began  in  1831  with  a  handful  of 
houses  and  a  population  of  a  hundred  souls.  It  has 
now  reached  over  10,000.  Prominent  among  the  re- 
sources to  which  its  growth  may  be  attributed  is  its 
proximity  to  the  hard-wood  forests  of  Northern 
Indiana  and  Michigan. 

These  woods  have  proven  a  bonanza  to  South 
Bend.  Enterprising  manufacturers  have  drawn  from 
their  unfailing  source;  prominent  among  them  being 
the  Studebaker  Brothers,  who  have  had  an  enviable 
career.  These  enterprising  men  started  in  1852 
with  a  cash  capital  of  sixty-eight  dollars,  and  a 
knowledge  of  blacksmithing  which  they  had  acquired 
at  their  father's  forge  on  the  Ohio.  Thus  equipped 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  329 

they  went  to  work,  turning  out  two  wagons  the  first 
year.  The  present  output  makes  that  humble 
beginning  seem  almost  incredible.  Studebaker's 
wagons  are  famous  and  the  firm  controls  capital  stock 
amounting  to  a  million  of  dollars.  The  other  notable 
enterprise  is  the  Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Works,  founded 
in  1853  by  James  Oliver,  a  Scotchman,  who  came  to 
Indiana  to  follow  the  vocation  of  an  iron  master,  and 
who  ultimately  had  the  satisfaction  of  exporting  his 
manufactures  to  his  native  country. 

The  most  distinguished  citizen  of  South  Bend  at 
the  time  of  my  visit,  and  the  most  prominent  man  in 
Indiana,  was  Hon.  Schuyler  Colfax,  whose  career  as  a 
statesman  was  a  singularly  brilliant  one.  For  over  a 
quarter  of  a  century  he  had  been  eminent  in  state  and 
national  politics.  Beginning  life  as  an  editor  he 
founded  in  1845  the  St.  Joseph  Valley  Register, 
an  organ  of  considerable  popularity  and  which  at 
the  time  had  a  strong  influence  in  local  Whig  circles. 
His  subsequent  duties  as  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  and  the  friend  and  adviser  of  Lincoln, 
kept  him  out  of  editorial  work,  and  later  he  was 
entirely  engrossed  with  affairs  of  state.  In  1868  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  Vice-President  under 
General  Grant  as  chief  executive. 

©at  jjunbreb  anb  (frt/trb  IDag. 

Sweet's  Hotel, 

GRAND  RAPIDS,  MICHIGAN. 
August  Twenty-second. 

My  birthday.  Went  by  rail  from  South  Bend  to 
Kalamazoo  in  the  morning  ;  had  dinner  at  the  latter 


330    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  &ORSE&ACK. 

place,  and  then  caught  an  early  train  for  Grand 
Rapids,  where,  finding  that  George  had  made  un- 
usually good  arrangements,  I  spoke  in  Luce's  Hall  to 
one  of  the  largest  audiences  which  greeted  me  in 
Michigan,  General  W.  P.  Innes,  well  known  in 
Grand  Army  circles  and  a  mason  of  high  rank,  intro- 
ducing me.  A  large  and  strongly  executed  painting 
of  the  Battle  of  Lookout  Mountain,  stretching  across 
the  rear  of  the  platform,  made  a  striking  effect  and 
gave  zest  to  my  reference  to  the  War  for  the  Union. 

My  reception  at  this  place  was  so  hearty  that  I 
should  have  enjoyed  a  longer  visit;  but  plans  already 
laid  prevented.  I  knew  the  town  itself  well,  for  I 
had  previously  been  there.  It  is  full  of  interest  both 
on  account  of  its  past  history  and  its  present  activity. 
The  city  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Grand  River  and 
seems  to  be  hedged  in  by  the  great  bluffs  that  reach 
along  at  the  water  edge  of  the  valley  two  miles  apart. 
Below  is  a  stratum  of  limestone  rock,  forming  the  bed 
of  the  river,  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half  with  a  descent 
of  eighteen  feet  causing  the  rapids  and  supplying 
the  water-power.  Gypsum  is  quarried  here  in  large 
quantities,  and  this  industry  supplemented  by  manu- 
factures and  fruit  culture  gives  it  its  commercial  im- 
portance. Perhaps  its  most  striking  peculiarity  is  to 
be  found  in  the  large  proportion  of  Hollanders  who 
swell  the  population.  Their  churches,  their  news- 
papers and  their  general  thrift  give  them  a  high 
standing  in  the  community,  and  what  they  have  ever 
been  accorded — a  reputation  for  being  loyal  and  enter- 
prising citizens. 

In  1760  there  was  a  very  different  state  of  things 
here.  The  Ottawa  Indians  had  a  large  village  below 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  331 

the  rapids,  and  there  Pontiac's  voice  was  heard,  call- 
ing upon  the  chiefs  to  aid  him  in  his  projected  siege 
of  Detroit.  Here  the  fur  traders  had  their  grand  de- 
pot, and  the  missionaries  labored  in  the  cause  of 
Christianity;  and  when  in  1834  the  Indian  settlement 
began  its  metamorphosis,  some  bold  prophet  declared 
that  it  would  soon  be  "  the  brightest  star  in  the  con- 
stellation of  western  villages."  This  prophecy  has 
been  more  than  fulfilled,  for  Grand  Rapids  is  the  ac- 
knowledged metropolis  of  Western  Michigan.  In  the 
mail  that  awaited  me  was  a  copy  of  the  South  Bend 
Herald,  containing  a  pleasant  notice  which  chronicled 
in  true  newspaper  diction  the  fact  that 

"  Captain  Glazier  delivered  his  lecture '  Echoes  from  the  Revolution1 
at  the  Academy  of  Music  last  evening.  Promptly  at  eight  o'clock 
the  lecturer,  with  Mr.  J.  F.  Creed,  appeared  on  the  platform.  Mr. 
Creed  in  introducing  the  lecturer  stated  the  object  of  the  lecture  to 
be  in  aid  of  the  Custer  Monument  Association  of  Monroe,  Michigan. 
He  also  read  several  letters  introducing  Captain  Glazier  to  the  public, 
from  well-known  citizens  of  Michigan,  and  acknowledging  receipts 
of  the  proceeds  of  the  lectures  delivered  in  Detroit  and  Kalamazoo. 
The  theme  of  the  lecturer  afforded  a  fine  field  for  the  display  of  his 
talents  as  a  speaker.  Possessing  a  fine  imagination,  good  descriptive 
powers  and  the  real  qualities  of  an  orator,  he  could  not  fail  to  please 
the  really  intelligent  audience  which  greeted  him  last  evening. 
Probably  one  hour  and  a  half  were  consumed  in  its  delivery;  but  the 
interest  and  attention  did  not  flag  nor  tire,  and  when  the  speaker 
took  leave  of  his  audience  he  was  greeted  with  several  rounds  of  ap- 
plause." 

(Due  ijunbreb  aub  JcmrtI)  IDaij. 

Duncombe  House, 

DECATUB,  MICHIGAN* 

August  Twenty-third-. 

Came  down  from  Grand  Rapids  in  the  morning  in- 
tending to  stop  on  the  way  at  Lawton,  but  was  carried 


332        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HOHSEKACR. 

by  through  the  carelessness  of  a  brakeman  who  neg- 
lected to  announce  the  stations.  The  town  is  quite  an 
important,  point  on  the  road  for  its  size  owing  to  the 
extensive  fruit  orchards  of  the  surrounding  farms. 
This  common  industry  which  has  sprung  up  in  all 
parts  of  the  State,  but  especially  in  the  southern  por- 
tion, and  which  attracts  more  attention  than  anything 
else,  is  a  contradiction  to  the  statements  of  those  who 
examined  the  country  while  it  was  yet  a  wilderness. 

In  1815  the  surveyor-general  of  Ohio  made  a 
journey  through  the  State  and  soberly  reported  that 
not  more  than  one  acre  in  a  thousand  in  Southern 
Michigan  would  in  any  case  admit  of  cultivation, 
yet  notwithstanding  that  worthy's  opinion,  six  hun- 
dred thousand  peach  trees  flourished  in  South- 
western Michigan  in  1872 !  Surely  that  is  a  fact  to 
be  proud  of.  On  my  arrival  at  Decatur  I  found  the 
Eagle  of  Grand  Rapids,  containing  mention  of  my 
lecture  at  that  place  as  follows : 

"A  very  large  audience  gathered  at  Luce's  Hall  last  night  to  hear 
Captain  Willard  Glazier.  The  speaker  was  earnest  and  impassioned> 
his  lecture  was  delivered  with  a  force  and  eloquence  that  pleased  his 
hearers,  and  all  who  were  in  the  hall  went  away  glad  that  they  had 
been  there,  and  ready  to  add  to  the  praises  that  have  been  bestowed 
on  Captain  Glazier  as  soldier,  author  and  orator." 

Such  notices  were  gratifying — not  for  the  leaven  of 
flattery  which  they  contained,  but  because  they  helped 
along  the  cause  which  was  to  raise  a  shaft  to  the 
deserving  dead.  For  this  reason  I  appreciated  the 
comments  of  the  press  and  owed  much  to  its  co-opera- 
tion. It  is  a  pleasure  to  me  to  acknowledge  my 
indebtedness  to  this  most  powerful  agent  of  modern 
times. 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  -333 

®\\t  ^unirei  cmft  Jtftl)  JDatj. 

Dyckman  House, 

PAW  PAW,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Twenty-fourth. 

Took  the  Michigan  Central  to  Lawton,  and  chang- 
ing cars  there  continued  ray  journey  to  this  place  by 
the  Paw  Paw  Road.  Thinking  that  it  might  facilitate 
matters,  I  had  my  saddle  padded  here,  and  had  a  talk 
with  the  saddler  besides,  as  the  delay  was  becoming 
serious.  At  this  crisis,  if  man  and  horse  could  have 
set  up  a  partnership,  like  the  fabled  Centaurs,  how 
we  could  have  flown  before  the  wind — or  even  out- 
stripped the  Michigan  Central — as  we  galloped  across 
country  towards  the  setting  sun  !  That  old  myth  was 
an  inspiration.  Was  it  invented  by  some  fanciful 
traveller-horseman  hindered  on  his  way  to  Rome  or 
Athens,  by  a  saddler  or  a  veterinary  surgeon  ? 

During  my  forced  visit,  the  people  of  Paw  Paw 
were  very  kind,  making  the  time  pass  agreeably  and 
giving  me  a  pleasant  recollection  to  take  away.  These 
small  social  influences  carried  great  weight  with  them, 
and  helped  to  bear  out  the  universally  acknowledged 
fact  that  associations  are  all  powerful. 

It  is  not  strange  that  people,  rather  than  their  abode 
or  works,  strongly  impress  .themselves,  nor  that,  re- 
alizing this,  they  should  be  cordial  in  their  hos- 
pitality. If,  then,  I  praise  the  beauty  or  enterprise  of 
these  American  towns,  I  bear  witness  at  the  same  time, 
to  the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  their  inhabitants. 
Whether  East  or  West,  these  qualities  were  everywhere 
apparent,  proving  the  universality  of  generous  feeling. 


334    .     OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

©ne  JJtmlnrri)  an&  Sktt)  JBag. 

Private  House, 

NILES,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Twenty-fifth. 

Leaving  Paw  Paw  after  breakfast  I  went  down  to 
Lawton  by  rail,  where  I  changed  cars,  taking  the 
Michigan  Central  to  Niles,  this  for  the  purpose  of 
making  use  of  the  extra  time  that  now  hung  heavily 
upon  my  hands.  A  good  proportion  of  the  six  thou- 
sand inhabitants  came  to  Kellogg  Hall  in  the  evening 
to  manifest  their  interest  in  the  Custer  Monument  and 
the  old  Revolutionary  heroes,  Mr.  J.  T.  Head  giving 
the  introduction. 

Reaching  Niles  before  noon  I  had  ample  time  to 
look  about,  and  to  hear  from  old  residents  something 
of  Berrien  County  and  their  home  here  on  the  St. 
Joseph. 

For  those  who  delight  in  searching  out  events  from 
the  doubtful  past,  there  is  suggestion  enough  here  to 
keep  them  occupied  for  at  least  a  week.  Even  this 
small  town  possesses  records  that  date  back  to  1669, 
when  Pere  Allouez  came  along  down  the  river  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery  and  who  may  have  encamped  on 
the  very  site  of  Niles,  for  all  that  the  people  who  live 
there  now  know.  But  putting  this  aside,  it  is  certain 
that  in  1700  the  Jesuits  had  a  mission  a  short  distance 
south  of  the  present  city,  and  that  there  were  forts 
built  here  and  there  in  the  vicinity  as  a  protection 
against  the  Indians.  Later,  when  matters  were  settled 
and  the  English  and  French  had  long  since  withdrawn, 
the  Reverend  Isaac  McCoy  came  out  into  the  wilder- 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  337 

ness  with  his  family  and  established  Gary  Mission, 
probably  in  sight  of  where  the  old  Jesuit  Mission  stood. 
This  was  in  1820.  Six  years  afterwards  a  handful  of 
cabins  made  their  appearance,  and  out  of  this  nucleus 
the  town  of  Niles  was  evolved.  This  is  a  mere  out- 
line without  the  adornment  of  those  pleasant  little 
fictions  that  cling  about  the  sober  history  of  every  in- 
habited place  on  earth,  and  which  delight  the  ear  of 
most  travellers,  for  there  may  be  those  who  follow  me 
who  echo  the  sentiment  of  the  Michigan  pioneer, 
"  From  legend  and  romance,  good  Lord,  deliver  us ! " 


©ne  djuuird  anb  Snjeutl)  SUcm- 

Private  House, 

LA   PORTE,  INDIANA, 

August  Twenty -sixth. 

Was  compelled  to  avail  myself  of  livery  accommo- 
dations in  order  to  meet  my  evening  engagement  at 
La  Porte.  Rode  in  a  hack  to  South  Bend,  and  finally 
reached  my  destination  by  way  of  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral and  Southern  Indiana  roads.  My  advance  agent, 
Babcock,  met  me  at  the  station,  and  I  accompanied 
him  to  the  home  of  a  Mr.  Munday,  who  I  discovered 
was  the  father  of  an  old  fellow-prisoner  at  "Libby." 

I  was  delighted  with  the  situation  and  appearance 
of  the  town.  It  rises  on  the  border  of  a  beautiful 
and  fruitful  prairie,  its  northern  end  bounded  by  a 
chain  of  seven  lakes  which  make  an  ideal  resort  in 
summer,  and  is  at  a  sufficient  distance  from  the  great 
body  of  water  which  dips  down  into  that  corner  of 
the  State,  to  enjoy  a  comparatively  mild  climate.  Its 


338         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

population  is  about  8,000,  of  which  a  good  share  is 
employed  in  the  foundries,  machine  shops  and  mills 
that  make  up  its  business  activity.  The  younger  ele- 
ment is  provided  for  in  good  schools,  and  that  luxury  of 
modern  communities  —  the  public  library  —  is  zealously 
supported.  On  a  line  with  it,  as  a  free  and  instructive 
institution,  the  Natural  History  Association,  founded 
in  1863,  holds  an  honored  place,  and  unlike  most  so- 
cieties of  a  similar  character  has  succeeded  in  making 
its  researches  of  interest.  In  fact  for  its  size  the  city 
has  made  great  progress  in  literary  and  educational 
directions. 


(Dne  (Junirei  anft  (f  tgl)tl) 


Jewell  House, 

MICHIGAN  CITY,  INDIANA, 
•      August  Twenty-seventh. 

After  my  lecture  of  the  previous  evening  at  La 
Porte,  I  took  the  first  train  to  this  city  —  emphatically 
the  City  of  Sand.  Time  and  winds  have  raised  great 
hills  of  sand  on  every  side,  and  from  their  crests  one 
can  look  off  for  miles  over  the  lake,  getting  perhaps  a 
deeper  impression  of  its  vastness  than  from  a  less 
monotonous  lookout. 

These  sand  dunes  are  supposed  by  some  to  be  caused 
by  a  peculiar  meteorological  phenomena  of  currents 
and  counter-currents  acting  vertically  instead  of  hor- 
izontally. Whatever  the  cause,  they  have  made 
Indiana's  only  port  of  entry  a  place  of  such  striking  pe- 
culiarity, that,  once  seen,  I  doubt  if  it  would  ever  be 
forgotten. 

In  the  forenoon  I  went  out  on   the  lake  in  a  small 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  339 

yacht;  but  finding  the  little  craft  unequal  to  the  heavy 
waves  which  were  rushing  in  from  the  north,  I  soon 
turned  back,  having  gained  by  the  venture  a  better 
idea  of  the  dunes  and  of  their  extent  as  they  stretch 
along  the  western  shore. 

The  fact  that  they  are  "building  upon  the  sand" 
gives  the  people  of  Michigan  City  very  little  concern, 
probably  because  they  know  there  is  terra  firma  some- 
where beneath  their  foundations. 

Ames  College  occupies  a  site  here,  and  the  Car  Shops 
are  important  and  extensive. 


JJtmbreb  ani  23mtl) 

Duncombe  House, 

DECATUR,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Twenty-eighth. 

Taking  an  early  train,  I  returned  to  this  place  in 
the  morning,  where  I  had  decided  to  remain  for  a  few 
days  in  order  to  allow  more  time  for  the  treatment  of 
my  horse,  and  to  give  my  brother  and  Babcock  an 
opportunity  to  insure  a  full  house  at  Farwell  Hall, 
Chicago,  where  I  was  announced  to  lecture  on  the 
eleventh  of  September. 

I  had  begun  to  fear  that  the  irritation  on  Paul's 
back  would  develop  into  that  most  disgusting  and 
painful  disease  of  horses  known  as  fistula;  and  al- 
though he  never  showed  any  impatience,  I  had  not 
the  heart  to  ride  him  while  in  this  condition. 

My  quarters  were  quite  comfortable  at  the  only 
hotel  in  town,  and  I  thanked  my  stars  that  I  was  not 
stranded  in  some  little  backwoods  place  with  the  choice 

17 


340         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

of  "the  softest  boards  on  the  floor  for  a  bed,"  and 
other  accommodations  to  match — a  state  of  affairs  which 
a  waylaid  journeyman  once  had  to  face,  who,  with  the 
soul  of  a  Stoic,  left  on  his  window-pane  the  comfort- 
ing couplet : 

"Learn  hence,  young  man,  and  teach  it  to  your  sons: 
The  easiest  way's  to  take  it  as  it  comes." 

In  fact  I  was  doubly  fortunate.  No  sooner  had  I 
reached  Decatur  than  I  lost  the  consciousness  of  being 
"a  stranger  within  the  gates,"  having  been  so  cordially 
made  to  feel  that  I  was  among  friends,  and  that  the 
cause  which  I  had  taken  up  in  Michigan  met  with 
their  hearty  sympathy. 


Duncombe  House, 

DECATUR,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Twenty-ninth. 

Met  George  L.  Darby,  an  old  comrade  of  the 
"  Harris  Light,"  in  the  afternoon.  He  had  noticed  my 
signature  on  the  hotel  register,  and  came  at  once  to  my 
room,  where  after  the  heartiest  of  greetings  we  sat 
down  for  a  long  talk.  Thirteen  years  had  slipped  away 
since  the  time  of  our  capture  at  New  Baltimore,  Vir- 
ginia, which  led  him  to  Belle  Isle  and  me  to  Libby 
Prison,  and  yet  as  we  discussed  it  all,  the  reality  of 
those  events  seemed  undiminished.  Kilpatrick,  Stuart, 
Fitzhugh  Lee — their  clever  manoeuvring,  and  our 
own  unfortunate  experiences  on  that  day,  kept  us  as 
enthusiastically  occupied  as  though  it  were  not  an  old 
story :  but  soldiers  may  be  pardoned  for  recurring  to 


Him 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  343 

those  events  which,  while  they  impressed  themselves 
upon  witnesses  with  indelible  distinctness,  may  yet  have 
lost  their  bitterness,  when  it  is  remembered  that  before 
many  years  they  and  their  stories  will  have  passed 
away.  To  those  who  indulge  in  the  absurd  belief  that 
such  topics  are  discussed  with  malicious  intent,  no 
justification  need  be  made. 

Led  on  from  one  thing  to  another,  I  found  Darby 
finally  plying  me  with  questions  of  kindly  interest 
about  my  peaceful  march  from  Ocean  to  Ocean,  and 
anxiously  asking  about  my  horse,  which  I  had  pre- 
viously left  in  his  care.  He  offered  to  do  all  he  could 
for  the  animal  and  with  this  comforting  assurance  took 
his  leave. 

©ne  Jljttnbrrir  ani  (f  komtl)  Slag. 

Duncombe  House, 

DECATUR,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Thirtieth. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  Darby  called  with  fishing 
tackle  and  proposed  that  we  go  out  to  Lake  of  the 
Woods  and  try  our  luck  with  hook  and  line.  The 
expedition  was  not  successful  as  far  as  fish  was  con- 
cerned, but  we  had  a  delightful  boat  ride  and  plenty 
of  talk. 

The  lake,  a  pretty  little  dot  lying,  as  its  name 
implies,  in  the  heart  of  the  woods,  is  an  ideal  spot  for 
rest  and  enjoyment,  and  its  miniature  dimensions  bear 
no  resemblance  to  its  famed  namesake  of  Minnesota. 
As  we  had  such  poor  success  with  our  tackle  I  took  no 
note  of  the  kind  of  fish  that  make  their  home  within 
its  sleepy  borders,  and  my  companion  gave  me  very 


344         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

little  information.  The  truth  is,  we  were  more  inter- 
ested in  our  concerns  and  the  serious  affairs  outside  the 
sport  which  so  fascinated  Izak  Walton. 


©m  ffjunftrefo  anl»  Stuelftt)  JBag. 

Duncombe  House, 
DECATUK,  MICHIGAN, 

August  Thirty-first. 

Albert  W.  Rogers,  to  whom  I  had  been  previously 
introduced,  called  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  invited 
me  to  drive  with  him,  determined,  he  told  me,  that  I 
should  see  something  of  Decatur's  surroundings.  The 
time  was  favorable  for  agreeable  impressions.  It  had 
been  a  typical  summer  day,  with  blue  sky,  a  slight 
breeze  and  the  mercury  at  70°  ;  in  short,  just  such 
weather  as  I  had  encountered  in  this  section  of  Michi- 
gan throughout  the  month  of  August,  and  as  evening 
approached,  I  was  prepared  to  enjoy  to  the  utmost 
the  pleasure  which  my  new  acquaintance  had  provided. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  town  one  gets  a  view  of 
gently  rolling  country  under  a  splendid  state  of  culti- 
vation, the  yellow  of  the  grain  fields  predominating, 
and  dotted  here  and  there  with  farmhouses.  Dark 
outlines  against  the  horizon  suggested  the  forests  of 
oak,  ash,  maple,  birch  and  elm,  which  stretch  over 
such  large  tracts  of  Van  Buren  County,  and  which 
have  made  a  little  paradise  for  lumbermen.  Wheat," 
maize  and  hay  appeared  to  be  flourishing;  but  I 
believe  that  agricultural  products  do  their  best  in  the 
rich  bottom-lands  bordering  the  rivers.  I  have 
dwelt  so  enthusiastically  upon  this  fertile  country  that 
to  say  more  would  seem  extravagant,  so  I  will  bring 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  347 

my  note,  the  chronicle  of  a  most  delightful  day,  to  a 


©ne  J5tmirt&  anb  Sl/trtaitt)  Stag. 

Duncombe  House, 

DECATUR,  MICHIGAN, 

September  First. 

Received  and  answered  a  large  mail  after  breakfast, 
and  ill  the  afternoon  took  a  walk  through  the  village. 
One  is,  of  course,  reminded  of  the  gallant  Commodore 
whose  name,  once  among  the  greatest  in  America,  now 
honors  this  modest  Western  town,  and  whose  deeds, 
once  upon  every  lip  in  the  young  republic,  are  well- 
nigh  forgotten.  The  question  even  suggests  itself  as 
to  how  many  of  those  who  live  here,  where  his  name 
is  perpetuated,  are  familiar  with  his  life  and  character. 

His  capture  of  the  frigate  Philadelphia,  which  had 
been  seized  and  held  in  the  harbor  of  Tripoli  in 
1801,  during  the  pacha's  seizure  of  our  merchantmen, 
was  said  by  Admiral  Nelson  to  be  "  the  most  daring 
act  of  the  age,".,  and  his  diplomacy  at  Algiers  and 
Tunis  and  Tripoli,  where  in  1812  his  demands  were 
acceded  to,  received  the  applause  of  all  Christendom, 
especially  because  those  demands  included  the  release 
of  the  Christian  captives  at  Algiers  and  of  the  Danish 
and  Neapolitan  prisoners  at  Tripoli,  and  ended,  forever, 
the  pretensions  of  the  Barbary  powers. 

After  the  trial  of  Commodore  Barron  for  cowardice, 
Decatur  made  some  remarks  which  the  former  thought 
should  not  be  allowed  to  pass  unnoticed,  and  accord- 
ingly called  upon  his  accuser  to  retract  them.  This 
Decatur  refused  to  do,  but  attempted  to  bring  about  a 


348         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

reconciliation.  Barron  refused  this  and  threw  down 
the  gauntlet,  and  when  shortly  afterwards  the  two 
met  to  settle  the  difficulty  "  with  honor/7  both  fell  at 
the  word  "  Fire  !  " — Decatur  mortally  wounded.  The 
affair  was  universally  deplored,  for  his  loyal  services 
had  endeared  Decatur  to  his  country,  and  when  his 
remains  were  taken  to  the  grave,  they  were  followed 
by  the  largest  concourse  of  people  that  had  ever  as- 
sembled in  Washington. 

©ne  fjunftrcb  cmb  Jour  tout!)  JDug. 

Duncombe  House, 
DECATUR,   MICHIGAN, 

September  Second. 

This  was  a  great  day  for  Decatur.  With  the  morn- 
ing came  the  completion  of  arrangements  for  a  Repub- 
lican mass-meeting,  and  a  rustic  band  from  an  ad- 
jacent village  arrived  at  nine  o'clock  in  a  farm  wagon. 
The  "Stars  and  Stripes"  floated  majestically  over  the 
heads  of  the  patriotic  musicians,  and  the  people  were 
drawn  from  every  quarter  to  the  stirring  call  of  fife 
and  drum,  eager  to  see  their  leaders  and  to  listen  to 
their  views  upon  the  vital  questions  of  the  day.  The 
"Silver  Cornet  Band"  of  Dowagiac  co-operated  with 
the  "  Decatur  Fife  and  Drum  Corps,"  in  rousing  the 
dormant  element  of  the  place,  and,  as  its  imposing  ap- 
pellation would  imply,  did  so  with  dignified  and  class- 
ical selections. 

The  political  campaign  which  had  been  slumbering 
since  the  nomination  of  Hayes  and  Tilden  reached  an 
interesting  stage  of  its  progress  at  this  time,  and  the 
friends  and  champions  of  the  rival  candidates  were 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  349 

fully  alive  to  the  issues  of  their  respective  plat- 
forms. 

By  nightfall  the  place  was  the  scene  of  great  ac- 
tivity, and  to  an  onlooker  produced  a  singular  effect. 
Men  were  collected  in  groups  engaged  in  excited  con- 
versation, torches  flared  in  every  direction,  while  at 
brief  intervals  all  voices  were  drowned  in  some  lively 
tune  from  the  silver  cornets  or  the  fife  and  drum. 

At  an  appointed  hour  the  speakers  of  the  evening 
appeared,  and  I  noticed  among  them  Hon.  Ransom 
H.  Nutting  and  Hon.  Thomas  W.  Keightly— the 
latter  a  candidate  for  Congress  from  this  district.  The 
meeting  closed  at  a  late  hour,  after  a  succession  of 
heated  addresses,  and  yet  the  politicians  of  Van  Buren 
County  seemed  not  at  all  averse  to  continuing  their 
talking  until  sunrise. 

©ue  fjunfrreb  aub  Jtttemtt)  EDag. 

Duncombe  House, 
DECATUR,  MICHIGAN, 

September  Third,. 

Accepting  an  invitation  from  Albert  Rogers,  I  ac- 
companied him  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
morning,  where  Rev.  Mr.  Hoyt,  a  young  clergyman, 
conducted  the  services  and  preached  a  very  good  ser- 
mon. I  was  pleased  by  the  courtesy  extended  me 
when  he  said,  in  the  course  of  his  announcements  .  "  I 
take  pleasure  in  calling  attention  to  Captain  Glazier's 
lecture  at  Union  Hall  to-morrow  night.  I  shall  be 
present  myself,  and  recommend  all  who  wish  to  listen 
to  an  instructive  and  patriotic  lecture  to  be  at  the  hall 
before  eight  o'clock."  When  the  service  was  over  Mr. 


350         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Rogers  and  I  waited  to  have  a  few  words  with  Mr. 
Hoyt,  who  was  evidently  very  much  interested  in  ray 
journey  across  country  and  who  intended  to  lend  his 
influence  in  behalf  of  the  "  Monument  Fund.'7  We 
then  returned  to  the  hotel  where  I  passed  the  remain- 
der of  the  day  quietly  in  my  room. 


(£)\\t  fijunbretr 


Duncombe  House, 
DECATUR,  MICHIGAN, 

September  Fourth. 


Lectured  to  a  full  house  at  Union  Hall  in  the  even- 
ing. My  sojourn  of  a  week  at  this  place  and  the  in- 
terest felt  in  the  effort  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
Custer,  brought  about  the  most  gratifying  results. 
Among  those  who  were  with  me  on  the  platform  were 
Hon.  Ransom  Nutting,  Rev.  Mr.  Hoyt,  Prof.  Samuel 
G.  Burked  and  Albert  W.  Rogers.  I  was  presented 
by  Mr.  Nutting,  after  which  testimonials  from  the 
Monument  Association  were  read  by  Prof.  Burked, 
and  later  the  following  pleasant  acknowledgment 
from  these  gentlemen  was  handed  me  : 

DECATUR,  MICHIGAN, 

September  4,  1876. 
CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :     We  take  this  means  of  expressing  to  you  our  ap- 
preciation of  the  highly  instructive  and  very   entertaining  lecture 
delivered  by  you  at  Union  Hall  this  evening.     Truly  we  admire  your 
plan  and  your  generosity  in  giving  the  entire  proceeds  to  the  Custer 
Monument  Fund.     Our  endorsement  is  the  expression  of  our  village 
people  generally.     You  have  made  many  friends  here. 
May  success  attend  you  throughout  your  journey. 
Very  respectfully, 

S.  GORDON  BURKED, 

RANSOM  NUTTING, 
ALBERT  W.  ROGERS. 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  351 

Such  greeting  as  this,  extended  to  me  all  along  my 
way,  gave  substantial  proof  of  the  universal  kindness 
with  which  I  was  received,  and  of  the  spontaneous  hos- 
pitality of  the  American  citizen. 

(Due  fijunkelr  anb  Sattuteeutl)  $cm. 

Seymour  House, 

DOWAGIAC,  MICHIGAN, 

September  Fifth. 

There  was  a  large  gathering  in  front  of  the  Dun- 
combe  House  in  the  morning  when  I  mounted  Paul 
and  faced  westward,  turning  my  back  upon  the  hos- 
pitable little  village  in  which  I  had  spent  so  many 
pleasant  days,  and  where  I  felt  that  I  had  indeed 
made  many  friends.  Mr.  Rogers  and  a  young  man 
of  the  place,  whose  name  I  am  sorry  to  have  forgotten, 
escorted  me  out  of  town  intending  to  ride  with  me  to 
Dowagiac,  but  an  approaching  rain-storm  obliged 
them  to  turn  back.  As  I  came  in  sight  of  the  village 
I  noticed  unmistakable  signs  of  a  stream  which  I  dis- 
covered was  the  Dowagiac  River,  a  tributary  of  the 
St.  Joseph,  entering  it  near  Niles.  It  has  been  put  to 
good  account  by  the  millers,  who  have  established 
themselves  here,  and  in  its  small  way  adds  to  the 
blessings  of  the  Michigan  husbandmen  on  its  shores. 

®ne  <!juubreii  anti  (g 


Private  House, 

NILES,  MICHIGAN, 

September  Sixth. 

The  threatening  storm  which  led  my  Decatur  friends 
to  turn  back  on  the  previous  afternoon,  set  in  soon 


352         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

after  my  arrival  at  Dowagiac,  and  I  considered  my- 
self very  fortunate,  as  it  was  accompanied  by  the  most 
violent  thunder  and  lightning  that  I  had  yet  encount- 
ered. Notwithstanding  this  disturbed  condition  of 
the  elements,  I  was  greeted  by  a  full  house  at  Young 
Men's  Hall,  where  I  was  introduced  by  Dr.  Thomas 
Rix. 

I  found  a  few  familiar  faces  at  Niles  which  I  had 
seen  during  my  previous  visit,  and  several  new  places 
of  interest  about  the  town.  Navigation  on  the  St. 
Joseph  ends  at  this  point,  and  the  narrowed  stream  is 
spanned  by  a  railroad  bridge;  and  the  water-power  in- 
creased by  a  dam.  There  is  a  brisk  business  carried 
on  at  the  water's  edge. 

The  mills  are  well  supplied  with  grain  from  out- 
lying fields,  and  boats  are  continually  plying  back  and 
forth  laden  with  lumber,  grain,  flour  and  fruit,  which 
are  shipped  from  here  in  large  quantities.  In  fact,  for 
its  size—  it  claims  I  believe,  a  population  of  something 
over  4,000  —  Niles  is  full  of  energy  and  ambition.  I 
found  myself  on  this  second  visit  very  much  interested 
in  the  place  and  pleased  that  circumstances  had  made 
necessary  a  second  halt. 

©it*  JJuuteb  anft  JJutftttutl)  E)ag. 


K(  nnard  House, 

BUCHANAN,  MICHIGAN, 

September  Seventh. 


Resumed  my  journey  at  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon at  a  small  way  place  between  Niles  and  Bu- 
chanan, where  I  rested  at  noon.  The  heavy  rains  of 
the  preceding  days  had  left  the  roads  in  a  most 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  353 

wretched  condition,  and  the  distance  was  considerably 
lengthened  as  it  was  necessary  to  avoid  pools  and  wash- 
outs, so  that  it  took  two  hours  of  slow  riding  to  reach 
my  destination.  Darby,  who  had  gone  forward  with 
the  other  advance  agents,  was  the  first  to  greet  me  at 
this  place  and  to  inform  me  of  the  arrangements  made 
for  my  lecture  in  the  evening. 

As  my  day's  journey  had  been  undertaken  leisurely, 
I  started  out  on  a  tour  of  inspection,  after  having  first 
made  comfortable  provision  for  Paul.  I  found  a 
flourishing  village,  having  a  population  of  something 
over  2,000,  and  prettily  situated  on  the  St.  Joseph 
River.  As  I  walked  in  and  out  through  its  streets 
and  looked  for  the  last  time  upon  the  stream,  which 
for  its  romantic  history  and  natural  charm  had  forced 
itself  upon  my  notice  so  often,  I  could  not  avoid  a 
certain  feeling  of  regret  that  this  was  to  be  my  last 
halt  in  the  great  State  through  which  I  had  made  such 
a  pleasant  and  profitable  journey.  Pictures  of  orchard 
and  meadow,  of  wheat  field  and  river,  passed  in  review 
once  more,  and  with  them  the  recollection  of  the 
splendid  part  the  patriots  of  Michigan  bore  in  the 
War  for  the  Union,  than  whom  was  none  more  loyal 
than  the  heroic  Ouster,  for  whose  memory  I  had  spoken 
and  received  such  warm  response. 

(Due  djunirei  cmfo  toentietl)  Slag. 

Private  House, 

ROLLING  PRAIRIE,  INDIANA, 
September  Eighth. 

Called  for  my  horse  at  Buchanan  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  intending  to  stop  at  New  Buffalo,  but 


354         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK-. 

once  on  the  road,  I  decided  instead  to  make  this 
village  my  evening  objective.  A  heavy  rain-storm, 
setting  in  early  in  the  forenoon,  compelled  me  to  take 
refuge  at  a  farm  house  for  about  an  hour,  where  I  was 
initiated  into  the  home  life  of  the  Northern  Indiana 
"  Hoosier."  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  during  this  day's 
ride  I  encountered  the  worst  roads  and  the  dullest 
people  of  my  journey.  Many  who  have  resided  in 
this  part  of  Indiana  for  thirty  and  even  forty  years 
are  not  only  exceedingly  illiterate,  but  know  much 
less  of  the  topography  of  the  country  than  the  average 
Indian — and  absolutely  nothing  of  the  adjacent  towns. 
As  a  consequence  I  was  obliged  to  trust  to  chance, 
which  brought  me  to  Galion,  a  tiny  hamlet  on  the 
outskirts  of  a  swamp,  where  I  had  dinner.  My  ride 
thither  was  made  under  circumstances  which  suggested 
the  ride  of  the  belated  Tarn  O'  Shanter,  and  while  my 
tortures  could  not  compare  with  his,  they  were  none 
the  less  acute  while  they  lasted.  I  was  met  on  the 
edge  of  the  swamp  by  a  swarm  of  mosquitoes — known 
in  France  as  petite  diables — who  forced  their  attention 
upon  me  without  cessation,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  I 
urged  my  horse  forward  at  breakneck  speed,  Paul's 
steaming  flanks  and  mire-covered  legs  attesting  to  the 
struggle,  when  we  drew  up  in  front  of  Galion  Inn. 

©ne  ff)unftreb  cinft  Stuwtg-ftrst  JDajj. 

Jewell  House, 

MICHIGAN  CITY,  INDIANA, 
September  Ninth. 

I  considered  myself  fortunate,  during  my  ride  from 
Rolling  Prairie  to  Michigan  City — a  distance  of  six- 


:>.    ..'OS 


A    HOOSIER    CABIN. 


DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO.  357 

teen  miles — in  having  a  sandy  road  and  no  rain  from 
the  time  of  setting  out  in  the  morning  until  my  ar- 
rival here  in  the  evening,  but  I  was  less  favored 
than  usual  in  obtaining  information. 

The  Presidential  campaign  was  now  at  white  heat 
and  very  little  outside  of  politics  was  discussed.  I  found, 
howeve^  that  the  ideas  of  many  of  the  farmers  were 
confused  upon  the  issues.  The  three  candidates  in 
the  field  made  the  canvass  unusually  exciting.  Hayes 
and  Tilden  were,  of  course,  the  central  figures,  but 
Peter  Cooper  of  New  York  had  many  staunch  sup- 
porters and  a  few  enthusiasts  rallied  around  Elaine, 
Conkling  and  Morton.  The  proprietor  of  the  Jewell 
House — a  Cooper  man — was  at  this  time  much  more 
interested  in  the  success  of  his  favorite  than  in  the  re- 
ceipts of  his  hotel,  and  his  halls  and  parlors  were  the 
rendezvous  for  men  of  all  parties. 


©ne  jjunureii  anir  ®tDtntg-0troni 

Jewell  House, 

MICHIGAN  CITY,  INDIANA, 
September  Tenth. 

As  it  was  Sunday  and  I  had  a  desire  to  visit  the 
most  imposing  institution  connected  with  Michigan 
City— the  Northern  State  Penitentiary,  I  decided  to 
make  the  two  miles  on  foot,  and  be  there  for  divine 
service.  I  found  everything  admirably  conducted, 
and  although  such  a  place  is  not  the  most  cheerful  in 
the  world  to  be  shown  through,  I  was  well  satisfied 
that  I  had  gone,  and  was  strongly  impressed  with  the 
effect  of  the  stern  hand  of  the  law.  In  the  afternoon 


358         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

a  heavy  rain  and  wind  storm  came  up,  and  I  stayed  in 
my  room,  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  writing  up  my 
journal,  and  arranging  for  my  lecture  tour  across 
Illinois  and  Iowa,  thereby  accomplishing  certain 
duties  which  fair  weather  might  have  tempted  me  to 
neglect. 

It  was  my  intention  to  go  by  rail  to  Chicago  on  the 
following  morning,  where  I  was  announced  to  lecture 
at  Farwell  Hall. 

Darby,  to  whom  I  have  previously  referred  in  con- 
nection with  Decatur,  and  who  was  acting  as  advance 
agent  in  the  small  towns  and  villages  that  lay  along 
my  route,  was  with  me  during  my  stay  at  the  Jewell 
House,  and  we  had  frequent  talks  over  our  adventures 
in  the  "  Harris  Light " — Second  New  York  Cavalry—- 
in which  most  of  our  active  service  was  passed. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THREE   DAYS   AT   CHICAGO. 

]N  the  eleventh  of  September,  I  took 
the  7.50  morning  train  at  Michigan 
City  for  Chicago,  instead  of  going  for- 
ward on  horseback,  as  I  had  discovered 
by  a  study  of  the  map  of  Illinois,  that 
I  could  save  Paul  some  thirty  miles, 
in  my  journey  across  the  State,  by 
riding  directly  from  Michigan  City  to 
Joliet,  and  I  saw  no  good  reason  why 
I  should  ride  him  up  here,  especially  at  a  time  when 
he  was  greatly  in  need  of  rest. 

When  I  had  registered  at  the  "  Grand  Pacific,"  I 
went  to  the  Fidelity  Safe  Deposit  Company  to  attend 
to  some  business  matters  and  then  over  to  the  Express 
and  Post  offices,  concluding  my  rounds  by  a  call  upon 
friends  on  West  Washington  street. 

Lectured  to  a  full  house  at  Farwell  Hall  in  the 
evening,  the  introduction  being  given  by  Major  E.  S. 
Weedon,  editor  of  the  Army  and  Navy  Gazette.  The 
Major  alluded  in  eloquent  and  touching  terms  to  the 
record  of  the  gallant  Custer  and  immediately  put  my 
audience  in  sympathy  with  me.  My  brother-in-law, 
Madison  H.  Buck,  of  Lake  Mills,  Wisconsin,  called 

(361) 


362         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

upon  me  in  the  evening  and  was  with  me  on  the  plat- 
form. The  lecture  closed  before  ten  o'clock,  and  I 
hurried  over  to  McVicker's  Theatre,  to  see  the  last  acts 
of  "  Mulberry  Sellers,"  in  which  John  T.  Raymond 
was  playing  his  favorite  role.  The  play  was  having 
quite  a  run,  and  one  heard  at  every  turn  the  expres- 
sion that  had  caught  the  popular  fancy — Mulberry's 
inimitable  assurance,  "  There's  millions  in  it !  " 

On  the  morning  of  the  twelfth,  I  settled  with  George 
and  Babcock.  The  former  went  forward  to  Ottawa, 
and  the  latter  to  Joliet.  It  was  my  intention  at  the 
time  to  push  on  to  Omaha  and  Cheyenne  as  rapidly 
as  possible  in  the  hope  of  passing  Sherman,  at  the 
summit  of  the  mountains,  before  the  snow  was  too 
deep  to  interrupt  my  journey.  Eight  general  halts 
had  been  decided  upon  between  Boston  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  these  were  Albany,  Buffalo,  Toledo,  Chi- 
cago, Omaha,  Cheyenne,  Ogden,  and  Sacramento.  I 
had  now  reached  my  fourth  objective  and  felt  the 
importance  of  more  haste  and  less  leisure  and  sight- 
seeing. My  time,  therefore,  in  this  great  city  was  nec- 
essarily cut  short. 

The  Exposition  had  just  opened  at  the  time  I 
reached  Chicago,  and  this  enabled  me  to  see  more  in  a 
few  hours  than  I  could  have  possibly  seen  in  any  other 
way,  and  gave  me  quite  an  idea  of  the  industries 
carried  on  in  Cook  County. 

I  had  never  seen  a  finer  local  affair  of  the  kind 
and  \vas  confident  that  its  object — the  encouragement 
of  agriculture  and  industry — would  be  successfully  ac- 
complished. Anyone  who  sees  the  way  in  which 
Chicagoans  throw  themselves  into  an  undertaking  of 
this  sort,  and  in  fact  into  everything  that  has  to  do 


THREE  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO.  363 

with  the  enterprise  or  prosperity  of  their  city,  cannot 
but  be  struck  with  admiration. 

Their  irrepressible  hopefulness,  which  effected  such 
marvelous  results  after  the  great  conflagration  of  1871, 
'is  a  case  in  point,  and  thgse  who  have  been  fortunate 
enough  to  see  the  transformation,  are  forced  to  admit 
that  the  calamity  was,  after  all,  not  so  much  to  be  de- 
plored. Out  of  the  great  waste  in  which  the  business 
portion  was  laid,  handsome  buildings  have  sprung  up 
with  almost  magic  rapidity  and  auguring  well  for  the 
future  of  the  "  Windy  City."  Especially  is  this 
feature  striking  in  the  vicinity  of  the  City  Hall,  where 
finer  edifices  rose  upon  the  old  ruins. 

The  very  name  of  Chicago  carries  us  back  to  the 
barbaric  scenes  of  more  than  two  hundred  years 
ago.  Where  the  beautiful  city  now  stands,  those  days 
of  long  since  past  knew  only  a  morass,  an  oozy,  deso- 
late stretch  of  water-soaked  swamp.  There  was  a 
stream  in  this  desolate  region,  the  banks  of  which, 
tradition  tells  us,  were  parched  and  cracked  and  black- 
ened by  the  frequent  ravages  of  lightning.  The 
early  explorers  found  on  its  banks  an  old  stone  mound, 
supposed  to  have  been  erected  for  the  sacrifice  of  hu- 
man victims  to  propitiate  the  wrath  of  the  Indian  deity 
Chekagua,  the  Thunder  God. 

On  the  oldest  map  of  this  region  now  extant,  one 
published  in  1684,  the  little  river  itself  bears  the 
name  Chekagua,  and  it  may  be,  that  our  fair  Western 
metropolis  of  to-day  was  also  a  namesake  of  that  same 
weird  divinity. 

Others,  claiming  a  more  propitious  christening,  as- 
sert that  Chicago  was  a  derivative  from  Chacaqua,  the 

Indian  term  for  the  Divine  Kiver. 

18 


364         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Or  perhaps  the  city  was  named  from  the  successive 
titles  of  the  proud,  old  Tamawas  Chiefs. 

"Not  a  monarch  in  all  that  proud  Old  World  beyond 
the  deep  "  bore  more  haughtily  his  inherited  title  of 
Herod  or  Caesar  than  did  one  of  these  Tamawas 
rulers  exult  in  the  ancient  title  of  Chacaqua.  If  this 
theory  of  the  origin  of  Chicago's  cognomen  be  accepted, 
then  indeed  can  the  "  Windy  City  "  claim  a  royal  title 
from  the  first. 

In  1673,  certain  Catholic  missionaries  became  inter- 
ested in  exploring  the  Western  Wilds.  They  were  es- 
pecially enthusiastic  in  regard  to  the  waterways  of 
darkest  America.  The  Mississippi  they  had  heard  of. 
Was  it  possible  that  it  ever  could  be  made  to  join 
Lands  with  the  Great  Lakes,  of  which  they  had  some 
knowledge  ? 

So  questioning,  Fathers  Marquette  and  Joliet  took 
two  canoes  and  five  men  from  the  upper  lake  regions, 
and  started  to  explore  the  charming  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi. 

On  their  return  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
Illinois,  where  they  were  informed  of  a  new  way  of 
reaching  Lake  Michigan. 

"Taking  the  Des  Plaines  branch,  they  were  able  to 
reach  the  water  shed,  but  eight  feet  higher  than  ca- 
noeable  waters,  crossing  which  they  launched  into  the 
stream  which  conducted  them  into  the  lake." 

In  so  doing  they  made  perhaps  the  greatest  dis- 
covery of  their  time — namely,  a  discovery  of  that  su- 
premely important  portage  which  insures  Chicago's 
supremacy  so  long  as  American  civilization  exists. 

In  October,  1674,  Marquette  returned  to  this  spot 
and  erected  the  first  white  man's  dwelling  which 


THREE  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO.  365 

was  ordained  to  be  the  beginning  of  the  great  metrop- 
olis of  the  West.  His  little  hut  was  both  a  home  and 
a  sanctuary.  Here  he  wintered,  shooting  turkey,  deer 
and  buffalo  from  his  door.  Here  in  the  spring,  from 
toil  and  exposure,  he  died,  mourned  by  the  savages 
whom  he  had  taught. 

Thus  was  Chicago  begun  in  embryo. 

There  in  that  lagoon,  filled  with  ooze,  with  its 
impassable  fens,  and  drifting  sands,  civilization  and 
religion  had  their  representative  who  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  great  Coming  City  bravely  with  teachings 
of  "The  love  of  God,  and  the  brotherhood  of  man." 

We  have  good  maps  of  1688  which  show  us  that  a 
little  later  this  lake  end  of  the  water  communication 
with  Louisiana  was  made  a  military  post,  called  Fort 
Chicagon. 

This  place  became  at  one  time  a  favorite  settlement 
for  French  missionaries.  However  the  spot  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  abandoned  about  1763,  after  which 
date  for  about  one  hundred  years  white  men  avoided 
it. 

In  1774  the  site  of  Chicago,  with  all  the  surround- 
ing country,  became  a  part  of  Virginia,  being  conquered 
by  a  military  expedition  from  that  State. 

In  1778  the  region  became  known  as  County  of 
Illinois,  State  of  Virginia. 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  Virginia 
"  divided  herself  by  the  Ohio  River,"  ceding  all  the 
territory  beyond  that  boundary  to  the  United  States 
for  the  "common  benefit  of  all  the  people." 

In  1795  the  Indians  also  ceded  to  the  general 
government  any  rights  which  their  tribes  possessed  to 
"  one  piece  of  land  six  miles  square,  at  the  mouth  of 


366         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Chekajo  River,  emptying  into  the  southwest  end  of 
Lake  Michigan,  where  a  fort  formerly  stood."  This 
extinguishment  of  the  Indian  title  in  1795,  being  in 
the  nature  of  a  quit-claim  deed  for  lands,  is  some- 
times called  the  earliest  real  estate  transaction  in 
Chicago. 

Thus,  she  who  was  to  become  the  "  Queen  City  "  of 
the  West,  made  her  debut  into  the  Union,  where, 
possibly,  she  may  yet, 

"  The  fairest  of  her  daughters/' 

rule  supreme. 

In  the  midst  of  all  the  down-town  rush,  at  a  point 
where  noise  and  confusion  scarcely  cease,  one  notices 
upon  a  decidedly  modern  building  a  white  stone  tablet 
which  informs  the  stranger  that  it  was  upon  this  spot 
Fort  Dearborn  stood — the  oldest  landmark  that  re- 
mained to  tell  the  tale  of  the  wilderness.  In  1804  two 
block-houses  were  built  here  and  a  subterranean  pas- 
sage made  from  the  parade  to  the  river,  the  whole  sur- 
rounded by  a  picket  and  furnished  with  three  pieces 
of  light  artillery,  the  object  being  "  to  supply  the 
Indian  wants  and  control  the  Indian  policy."  The 
tribes  of  Pottawatomies  overran  the  country  round 
about  and  with  the  little  group  of  French  and  Cana- 
dian settlers  made  the  life  of  the  isolated  post.  In 
1809  Tecumseh  marked  it  out  as  One  of  his  objects  of 
vengeance,  but  fortunately  other  schemes  occupied  his 
attention,  and  it  remained  in  comparative  security  un- 
til the  war  of  1812.  Then,  when  all  the  country  was 
disturbed  and  the  Indians  were  making  mischief 
everywhere,  the  commander  of  Fort  Dearborn  was  be- 
trayed by  the  Pottawatomies  and  every  vestige  of  a 
settlement  destroyed. 


THREE  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO.  367 

It  was  not  until  1818,  after  Fort  Dearborn  was 
again  demolished,  that  the  pale  face  was  courageous 
enough  to  establish  his  home  at  this  point.  Nor  was 
courage  alone  required,  for  the  unfavorable  position — 
on  a  morass  where  vehicles  invariably  floundered  in 
its  black  loam,  and  where  the  air  was  necessarily  un- 
healthy— was  well  known  ;  but  these  first  men  whose 
rude  homes  constituted  the  embryo  city  must  have 
possessed  to  a  great  degree  that  indomitable  spirit 
which  has  become  the  very  foundation  of  Chicago. 

Nine  years  from  this  time  a  most  unfavorable  re- 
port of  the  place  was  sent  to  the  Government  and  from 
this  report  the  picture  is  called  up  of  a  wretched,  un- 
clean and  disreputable  community.  But  this  state  of 
affairs  was  not  to  last  long.  An  event  of  importance 
took  place  here  in  1833,  when  the  United  States  com- 
missioners and  chiefs  of  the  Pottawatomie,  Chippewa 
and  Ottawa  tribes  met,  that  the  former  might  per- 
suade the  latter  to  give  up  more  of  their  valuable  land 
in  Illinois  and  Michigan  and  ultimately  to  relinquish 
it  altogether.  The  exact  amount  stipulated  for  was 
twenty  millions  of  acres.  Then  population  increased, 
for  one  of  the  points  agreed  upon,  along  with  the  land, 
was  that  the  Indians  should  move  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. As  a  result,  Chicago  became  the  centre  of  much 
speculating.  Eastern  capitalists  were  interested,  in- 
vested and  lost  heavily,  but  after  the  depression  which 
inevitably  followed,  the  people  went  to  work  in 
earnest  and  brought  the  town  out  of  her  trouble. 

The  one  point  of  advantage  that  Chicago  pos- 
sessed— her  possibilities  as  a  commercial  post — was 
put  to  the  test,  and  so  rapidly  did  she  advance,  that  in 
1842,  after  several  remarkable  advances,  she  sent  out 


368        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

600,000  bushels  of  wheat.  She  was  already  becoming 
a  big  cattle  market,  ranchmen  further  west  driving 
their  stock  here  and  helping  to  increase  the  impor- 
tance of  the  place  as  a  centre  of  trade.  At  this  time  a 
canal  was  in  process  of  construction,  to  connect  the 
Illinois  and  Chicago  rivers,  thus  making  Chicago  the 
centre  for  commerce  between  the  Southwest  and  East, 
and  giving  her  the  opportunity  to  extend  her  business 
from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

This  was  a  splendid  opening,  and,  with  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  railroads  which  soon  afterwards  were  ex- 
tended to  this  point,  the  future  prosperity  of  the  place 
was  secured.  It  then  only  remained  for  Chicago  to 
improve  her  appearance  and  sanitary  condition.  This 
she  did  by  having  the  streets  drained,  filled  up  and 
graded.  Local  pride  was  manifesting  itself  in  various 
improvements  and  in  private  and  public  buildings,  so 
that  by  1871  there  was  plenty  of  fuel  for  the  great  fire 
which  laid  so  much  of  the  city  waste. 

The  well-known  origin  of  the  conflagration  was  in 
a  barn  where  "  Mrs.  Scully's  cow  "  innocently  turned 
over  a  lighted  lantern  on  some  dry  hay.  Soon  the 
barn  was  in  flames  and  the  fire  quickly  spread  to  the 
lumber  yards  along  the  river  and  from  thence,  the  dry 
timber  and  wind  favoring,  leaped  along  and  licked  up 
the  homes  on  the  North  Side  and  the  business 
houses  on  the  South  Side. 

The  first  stroke  of  the  alarm  sounded  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening  of  October  8, 1871.  "  By  eleven 
o'clock  100,000  people  were  hurrying  through  the 
streets  of  the  doomed  city,"  spreading  terror  as  they 
went.  "All  over  the  city  it  was  as  light  as  day,  and, 
in  the  remotest  suburb  fine  print  was  read  by  the 


THREE  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO.  369 

glare  of  the  conflagration  three  or  four  miles  away. 
By  midnight  nearly  every  vehicle  in  the  city  had 
been  pressed  into  service,  and  the  frightened  animals 
attached  to  them,  in  many  cases  beyond  control,  went 
flying  through  the  streets  in  all  directions,  making  a 
racket  and  a  rumble  which,  coupled  with  the  hoarse 
shouts  of  men,  the  moaning  of  the  gale,  the  roar  of  the 
conflagration  and  the  crash  of  falling  buildings  made  a 
conglomeration  of  sight  and  sound  so  appalling  that 
none  who  saw  it,  or  were  of  it,  are  ever  likely  to  for- 
get. Few  in  the  city  took  any  notice  of  the  break  of 
day  or  the  rising  of  the  sun.  These  occurrences 
seemed  to  make  little  difference  in  the  quantity  of 
light.  It  was  only  now  and  then  that  Old  Sol  was 
visible  through  the  almost  impenetrable  smoke  clouds. 
Nothing  could  be  seen  but  smoke,  smoke,  smoke,  here 
and  there  interspersed  by  dark  rolling  masses  of 
flames.  It  was  chaos  come  again.  The  earth  was 
seemingly  resolved  into  its  original  elements." 

At  the  end  of  three  days,  300,000  people  were  desti- 
tute, 100,000  were  absolutely  homeless,  200,000  were 
without  water.  The  food  supply  was  doubtful  for  all. 
Robbers  and  incendiaries  were  at  work.  The  gas  was 
gone — blown  sky  high.  Churches,  newspapers,  po- 
lice, telegraph  offices  and  public  institutions  were 
gone,  while  nineteen-twentieths  of  all  the  mercantile 
stock  in  the  city  was  consumed. 

The  tract  destroyed  was  about  a  mile  in  breadth, 
and  the  losses  were  roughly  estimated  at  $200,000,000. 
Still,  so  alive  was  public  sentiment  and  hope,  that  at 
the  time  of  my  horseback  journey,  five  years  later, 
scarcely  a  trace  remained  to  tell  the  tale  of  this  disas- 
ter, and  that  of  1874,  except  the  records  of  history. 


370    OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

The  story  of  just  how  Chicago  proved  herself  a  ver- 
itable Phoenix  is  a  very  interesting  one. 

On  the  evening  of  October  ninth,  only  twenty-four 
hours  after  the  commencement  of  the  conflagration,  a 
car-load  of  provisions  arrived  from  Milwaukee.  By 
the  next  morning  fifty  car-loads  had  come  to  the  af- 
flicted city.  Donations  of  food  and  clothing  kept 
pouring  in  until  Chicago  was  fairly  sated.  By  October 
eleventh  every  person  had  food  enough  and  each  one's 
pressing  physical  necessities  were  attended  to.  On  the 
eleventh,  also,  the  Board  of  Trade  met  and  resolved  to 
require  the  honoring  of  all  contracts.  On  the  twelfth 
the  bankers  met  and  resolved  to  pay  all  depositors  in 
full.  The  State  sent  an  instalment  of  $3,000,000 
with  which  it  then  voted  to  re-imburse  the  city  for  its 
expenditures  for  the  canal  enlargement,  thus  placing  the 
city  in  the  possession  of  much-needed  funds.  From 
all  over  the  civilized  world  came  contributions  in 
money  for  the  resurrected  city.  The  amount  so  re- 
ceived within  three  months  after  the  conflagration  be- 
ing about  $4,200,000. 

The  Relief  Society  alone  built  four  thousand  houses 
within  five  weeks  of  those  dreadful  days  when  all 
seemed  lost. 

In  two  years  after  the  fire,  sixty-nine  million,  four 
hundred  and  sixty -two  thousand  dollars  were  expended 
in  erecting  buildings  of  brick,  iron,  and  stone,  while 
miles  of  humble  frame  houses  were  built,  each  costing 
from  $500  to  $10,000. 

Now,  in  place  of  the  original  city  of  wood,  there 
stands  by  the  Great  Lake,  a  city  of  stone  and  iron,  able 
to  vie  with  any  other  city  in  growth,  enterprise  and 
wealth,  bearing  the  distinction  of  being  the  greatest 


THREE  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO.  371 

grain  and  lumber  market  in  the  world,  and  boasting  a 
population,  at  the  time  of  my  journey,  of  about  five 
hundred  thousand.  From  the  Atlantic  to  the  Paci- 
fic I  rode  into  no  city  that  made  such  an  impres- 
sion of  grandeur,  business  power  and  wealth  as  this 
youthful  "Queen  of  the  Lakes." 

Chicago's  baptism  of  fire  seemed  but  to  prove  an  in- 
spiration, goading  the  city  to  more  activity,  to  greater 
success. 

The  aggregate  amount  of  business  done  in  the  city 
the  year  after  the  fire — entirely  excepting  the  building 
trades — greatly  exceeds  that  done  the  previous  year,  as 
the  following  figures  will  show.  During  this  one  year 
the  wholesale  merchandise  trade  increased  fifteen  per 
cent.  Receipts  of  grain  increased  8,425,885  bushels  ; 
receipts  of  live-stock  by  872,866  head.  Deposits  in 
the  city  banks  increased  $1,910,000. 

So  much  for  the  splendid  pluck  of  Chicago. 

The  Pacific  coast  has  Chicago  for  her  smelting  fur- 
nace, four  large  silver  mills  being  located  here. 

From  the  Pacific  coast  also,  she  has  a  considerable 
trade  in  the  productions  of  the  Orient.  In  the  first 
half  of  1873,  Chicago  received  assignments  of  three- 
million  pounds  of  tea,  two  million  pounds  of  coffee, 
eight  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  foreign  wool,  and 
three  hundred  and  nine  thousand,  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  four  pounds  of  foreign  silk.  Cotton  came  to 
her  from  the  Pacific  Isles,  and  nuts  from  South 
America. 

Some  idea  of  the  commercial  importance  of  Chica- 
go's trade  may  be  reached  by  the  amount  of  some  of 
her  exports  by  rail  during  1872:  namely,  two  hundred 
and  thirty-four  million  pounds  of  meat ;  eighty 


372         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

million,  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  of 
lard  ;  one  million,  nine  hundred  and  sixty-five  thou- 
sand whole  swine;  four  hundred  and  eighty -four 
thousand  head  of  cattle,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  thousand  head  of  sheep. 

I  found  Chicago  justly  proud  of  her  public  schools. 
It  was  roughly  estimated  that  in  the  city  about  fifty 
thousand  children  between  six  and  twelve  years  of  age 
received  daily  instruction. 

The  graded  system  employed  in  these  schools  is  so 
advanced,  and  has  proved  so  successful,  that  it  has  be- 
come a  general  model  for  all  the  schools  of  the  great 
Northwest. 

More  than  that,  it  has  been  adopted,  in  part,  by  the 
Minister  of  Education  in  France,  and  at  the  late 
Vienna  Exposition  a  reward  for  progress,  in  the 
shape  of  a  beautiful  medal,  was  awarded  to  the  school 
system  of  Chicago.  Chicago  claims  for  herself  abso- 
lute superiority  in  two  particulars  over  all  the  public 
schools  in  the  United  States,  the  "Hub"  institutions 
of  Boston  not  excepted.  First:  Perfect  discipline  is 
said  to  be  attained  without  the  use  of  corporal  punish- 
ment. Second:  The  musical  culture  of  the  school 
children  is  said  to  far  excel  anything  attained  before 
on  this  Continent. 

I  found  that  the  city  contained  a  number  of  colleges, 
theological  seminaries  and  universities.  The  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago  occupies  one  of  the  most  elegant  and 
commodious  buildings  in  the  West. 

The  Dearborn  Observatory,  which  is  a  part  of  this 
University,  contains  the  famous  Clark  Telescope,  one 
of  the  most  magnificent  instruments  of  its  kind  in 
existence. 


THREE  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO.  373 

The  Chicago  Theological  Seminary  is  noted  for  the 
beauty  of  its  chapel  and  lecture  rooms,  and  the  extent 
and  quality  of  its  library.  The  Academy  of  Science 
was  incorporated  in  1865.  It  has  a  vast  building, 
well  stocked  with  natural  curiosities. 

The  Historical  Society  organized  in  1856  possesses 
a  rare  collection  of  public  and  private  documents,  as 
well  as  a  library  of  nearly  one  hundred  thousand 
volumes. 

There  are  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight  houses  of 
public  worship  in  Chicago;  all  of  the  great  religious 
denominations,  and  perhaps  some  new  ones,  being  well 
represented.  Differing  as  they  do,  they  are,  as  some  one 
says :  "Agreed  on  one  point,  namely,  an  uncommon 
sense  of  mutual  toleration  and  mutual  love  for  each 
other,  and  a  feeling  of 

Peace  and  sweet  good  will  to  all  mankind." 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  fine  pulpit  oratory  to  be 
heard  every  Sabbath  in  Chicago ;  and  the  people  of  the 
surrounding  country  know  it.  It  is  no  uncommon 
thing  for  the  Saturday  night  incoming  trains  to  be 
crowded  with  young  men,  some  of  them  from  homes 
one  hundred  miles  away,  who  are  yet  regular  attend- 
ants at  the  religious  services  of  the  city.  Having  en- 
joyed these  to  the  full,  the  Sunday  evening  sleeping 
cars  are  again  crowded  with  the  same  youthful  army, 
very  sleepy,  but  very  happy,  making  the  return  trip. 

Chicago  is  justly  proud  of  her  streets.  About  eighty 
feet  wide,  and  meeting  at  right  angles,  they  present  a 
beautiful  object  lesson  to  some  of  her  elder  Eastern 
sisters. 

The  city  is  said  to  contain  thirteen  million  dollars' 


374         OCfEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

worth  of  hotel  property.  Perhaps  no  structure  for 
which  any  part  of  this  immense  sum  has  been  ex- 
pended is  more  beautiful  and  remarkable  than  the 
Palmer  House.  This  building  is  said  to  contain  more 
bricks  than  any  two  hotels  on  the  Continent,  and  more 
iron  than  most  of  them  put  together.  The  flooring 
contains  ninety  thousand  square  feet  of  marble  tiling 
laid  in  massive  beds  of  cement.  The  beams  are  laid 
in  beds  of  cement  also. 

The  immense  carriage  court  is  entered  by  three  porte 
cocheres.  There  are  said  to  be  one  hundred  miles  of 
electric  bell 'wires  in  the  building.  The  magnificent 
office  is  twenty-four  feet  in  height.  It  is  wainscoted 
with  Italian  marble,  studded  with  panels  of  remark- 
ably rich  rose  brocatelle  marble,  and  with  many 
natural  mosaics  of  rare  and  curious  beauty.  The 
wainscoting  of  the  counter  is  made  of  the  same  ex- 
quisite material.  The  grand  staircase  is  made  of  the 
same. 

Mr.  C.  M.  Palmer  travelled  extensively  for  some 
time,  before  building,  throughout  Europe,  making  an 
especial  study  of  continental  hotels,  with  a  determina- 
tion to  surpass  the  excellences  of  them  all  in  his  be- 
loved Chicago. 

Mr.  Palmer's  spirit  seems  to  be  characteristic  of  all 
true  Chicagoans.  To  have  their  city  excel,  to  have  it 
something  more  extensive,  more  impressive,  more  fa- 
mous, grander,  nobler  than  any  other  place  which  the 
sun  shines  on,  this  is  their  hearts7  desire.  Some  one 
said  to  a  great  man  : 

"  What  paramount  word  of  advice  would  you  give 
to  young  men  ?  " 

The  answer  came, 


THREE  DAYS  AT  CHICAGO-  375 

"  Aspire." 

"  What  would  your  next  advice  be? " 
"  Aspire." 
"  But  what  then  ?  " 
"Aspire." 

Chicago  believes  in  that  advice.      She  has  always 
believed  in  it.     Nay,  more,  she  has  lived  it. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT. 


©ne  $ttnbret)  anir  (EtotntB-Stttl) 


Jewell  House, 

MICHIGAN  CITY,  INDIANA, 
September  14,  1876. 

N  the  morning  I  settled  with  Darby,  and 
in  the  afternoon  he  returned  to  Decatur. 
At  nightfall  here,  the  excitement 
which  had  been  rising  during  the  day 
reached  its  climax  when  the  Michigan 
City  Democrats  repaired  to  the  New  Al- 
bany depot  to  hold  a  mass  meeting. 

Notwithstanding  my  own  sentiments, 
I  went  too,  and  was  highly  entertained 
by  the  speakers,  among  whom  were  Hon.  Daniel  W. 
Voorhees  of  Terre  Haute,  Hon.  James  Williams 
—  better  known  in  the  Hoosier  State  as  "Blue  Jeans" 
Williams  —  and  Hon.  Morgan  Weir,  of  La  Porte. 

When  Voorhees  arrived  his  enthusiastic  partisans 
had  him  driven  in  state  from  the  station  in  a  carriage 
drawn  by  four  white  horses.  He  was  no  doubt  the 
lion  of  the  occasion  and  his  energetic  language  drew 
forth  frequent  applause.  The  strong  features,  straight 
(376) 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT.  377 

brows  and  broad  forehead  of  this  politician  would  pro- 
claim him  a  man  of  force  anywhere. 

A  large  crowd  had  gathered  at  the  appointed  place 
and  business  began  at  eight  o'clock.  As  time  passed 
the  excitement  grew  more  intense,  and  towards  the 
close  of  the  meeting  an  amusing  incident  was  noted, 
when  the  honorable  senator  took  issue  with  his  oppo- 
nents. I  then  became  aware  that  there  were  others 
present  of  a  different  faith,  besides  myself,  for  no 
sooner  were  Voorhees'  anti-Republican  sentiments 
voiced  than  a  vehement  champion  of  the  Republican 
party  jumped  to  his  feet  denouncing  as  false  the  state- 
ments made,  winding  up  his  remarks  by  thumping  his 
cane  on  the  benches  and  saying  that  all  that  had  been 
spoken  was  a  "  pack  of  lies  !  "  Off  in  another  part  of 
the  building  an  excited  Irishman  also  jumped  up  cry- 
ing out :  "  Mr.  Voorhees  is  a  perfect  gintleman,  sor !  " 
A  compliment  which  the  Hoosiers  quickly  took  up 
and  the  depot  rang  with  :  "Mr.  Voorhees  is  a  perfect 
gintleman,  sor ! " 

My  co-partisan  was  silenced,  if  not  convinced.  The 
other  speakers  scored  several  points  for  their  cause 
and  the  meeting  closed  with  three  cheers  and  a  tiger 
for  the  Democratic  candidates. 


Jewell  House, 
MICHIGAN  CITY,  INDIANA, 

September  Fifteenth. 


Being  detained  on  account  of  the  condition  of  my 
horse,  and  as  the  weather  now  was  most  delightful,  I 
made  the  best  of  the  situation  by  looking  about  the 


378          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

place,  since  I  had  seen  comparatively  little  of  it  up  to 
this  time.  Possibly  no  city  or  town  along  my  route 
labors  under  greater  disadvantages  from  a  geographical 
or  commercial  point  of  view  than  this  "city  of  sand," 
situated  as  it  is  at  the  extreme  southern  end  of  Lake 
Michigan,  with  the  water  splashing  against  it  on  one 
side  and  the  wind  and  sand  storms  beating  against  it 
on  the  other. 

However,  it  has  overcome  these  obstacles  to  a  cer- 
tain degree  and  is  hardly  lacking  in  enterprise,  as  the 
mass  meeting  of  the  preceding  day  testified.  Here, 
perhaps,  more  than  at  any  other  of  the  towns  and 
cities  lying  around  Lake  Michigan,  one  is  impressed 
with  the  resistless  force  of  this  splendid  inland  sea, 
and  so  unique  an  impression  did  the  place  make  upon 
me  that  my  detention  did  not  become  irksome,  al- 
though all  the  fascinations  of  the  Great  West  lay  be- 
yond. 

©nc  jSjtm&reft  anb  StDentg-tljljtf)  JDag. 

Hobart  House, 
Ho  BART,    INDIANA, 

September  Sixteenth. 

Did  not  get.  on  the  road  until  nearly  eleven  o'clock. 
The  rest  and  treatment  which  Paul  had  received  at 
Michigan  City  put  him  in  excellent  spirits  for  a  rapid 
journey  and  he  stepped  off  nimbly  when  I  gave  him 
the  reins  in  front  of  the  Jewell  House.  I  was  greatly 
encouraged  by  the  condition  of  my  horse  and  now  that 
the  word  was  once  more  "onward,"  all  the  fascination 
of  the  ride  came  back. 

Although  the  scenes  I  passed  through  were  very 


CHICAGO   TO  DAVENPORT.  379 

like  others,  there  being  nothing  of  marked  interest  to 
the  traveller  in  this  section  of  Indiana,  I  still  found 
much  pleasure  in  looking  over  the  farms  as  I  passed 
them  and  noticing  the  variety  of  methods  and  effects. 

A  good  stimulating  breeze  came  inland  from  the 
lake  and  by  noon  it  had  added  zest  to  my  appetite.  I 
stopped  for  dinner  at  the  village  of  Chesterton  and 
then  pushed  on  to  this  place  which  was  reached  in  the 
evening  by  seven  o'clock — twenty-eight  miles  having 
been  covered  during  the  day. 

The  only  accommodation  to  be  found  was  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  a  beer-saloon  with  sleeping  rooms 
attached,  a  characteristic,  I  regret  to  say,  which  I  ob- 
served in  many  of  the  small  towns  through  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  As  immediate  environment  has 
an  influence  in  making  impressions,  my  opinion  of 
this  halting-place  on  the  borders  of  "  Hoosierdoin " 
was  not  the  most  exalted. 

©ne  guntord  ani  (Btoentjj-nmtl)  Slag. 

Bohmer  House, 
RIGHTO N,  ILLINOIS, 

September  Seventeenth. 

Owing  to  the  late  hour  of  my  arrival  at  Hobart  the 
previous  evening  I  was  unable  to  observe  my  usual 
practice  of  looking  through  the  place  and  making  a 
note  of  its  striking  points  in  my  journal,  and  for  this 
reason  I  was  not  in  the  saddle  until  ten  o'clock  A.  M., 
although  the  time  was  spent  more  in  seeing  than  in 
chronicling  what  was  seen. 

Paul  was  still  in  the  happiest  of  spirits  and  I  rode 
away  from  Hobart  at  a  gallop,  stirring  the  dust  of  this 

19 


380          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

sleepy  little  village  as  it  had  possibly  not  been  stirred 
for  many  moons.  The  cheerful  fact  was  made  clear  to 
me  before  leaving  that  I  was  as  far  from  Joliet  at  Ho- 
bart  as  I  had  supposed  myself  to  be  at  Michigan  City. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  in  which  twenty-eight 
miles  were  again  covered,  Centralia,  Sherryville  and 
Dyer  were  passed,  these  towns  being  on  Grand 
Prairie,  across  which  I  rode  from  morning  till  night. 
At  four  o'clock  I  reached  the  boundary  between  In- 
diana and  Illinois,  realizing  that  at  this  point  six 
States  had  added  their  rich  scenes  and  splendid  enter- 
prises to  my  memory. 

As  I  was  moving  along  on  the  prairie  just  before 
dark  my  ears  caught  the  sound  of  a  peculiar  barking 
and  soon  a  pack  of  what  I  supposed  to  be  dogs  were 
following  me.  I  noticed  that  Paul's  manner  changed 
and  he  appeared  disturbed,  but  attributed  this  to  the 
barking  and  the  persistent  keeping  at  his  heels  of  the 
little  animals.  To  a  man  whom  I  met  later,  I  ex- 
plained that  I  had  been  followed  for  some  hours  by  a 
pack  of  dogs,  when  he  promptly  informed  me  that 
they  were  doubtless  prairie  wolves.  Of  course  to  an 
Easterner  this  news  gave  an  added  interest  to  Grand 

Prairie. 

• 

<5)ue  <§mtiirel>  anir  Sljtrtietl)  Dag. 

Robertson  House, 
JOLIET,    ILLINOIS, 
September  Eighteenth. 

Had  Paul  brought  out  at  eight  o'clock.  As  soon 
as  he  was  saddled  at  Richton  the  man  who  attended  to 
him  threw  the  rein  over  the  neck  of  the  horse,  and  a 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT.  333 

moment  later  he  made  his  appearance  unaccom- 
panied in  front  of  the  Rohmer  House.  This  being  an 
undoubted  sign  of  his  anxiety  *to  be  off,  I  mounted  at 
once  and  we  were  soon  lessening  the  distance  to  Joliet, 
our  evening  destination,  twenty-one  miles  away. 

Was  all  day  again  on  Grand  Prairie,  which  may 
give  some  idea  of  this  the  greatest  and  truly  the  grand- 
est prairie  yet  passed  on  my  route.  Its  proximity  to 
Chicago  is  doubtless  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the 
high  winds  for  which  the  "Windy  City"  is  noted; 
and  if  Chicago  could,  she  would  gladly  change  her  in- 
convenient environment. 

At  Lenox  I  halted  for  dinner,  reaching  Joliet  at 
four  P.  M.  In  riding  through  Jeiferson  street,  I  was 
met  by  Babcock  who  seemed  much  surprised  at  my 
early  arrival.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  "Rip 
Van  Winkle  "  was  being  played  at  the  opera  house, 
Robert  Me  Wade,  a  young  actor  of  some  prominence, 
taking  the  leading  r6h,  I  found  a  fair  audience  await- 
ing me  at  Werner  Hall  in  the  evening,  which  proved 
that  interest  was  still  felt  in  the  Custer  Monument 
movement. 


®\\t  Cjtmftttb  cmb  Slftrttj-first  Slaw. 

Hopkins  House, 

MORRIS,   ILLINOIS, 

September  Nineteenth. 

On  calling  for  my  bill  at  the  Robertson  House,  Jo- 
liet, in  the  morning,  Mr.  Conklin  the  proprietor,  de- 
clined to  accept  any  pay  for  my  accommodations,  and 
when  I  insisted,  said  he  wished  the  pleasure  of  making 


384         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

me  his  guest  during  my  stay.  I  did  not  get  a  very 
early  start,  as  a  family  by  the  name  of  Horner,  upon 
hearing  of  my  arrival,  called  at  the  hotel  and  at  their 
solicitation  I  made  them  a  short  visit.  They  knew 
of  my  journey  and  interest  in  the  Ouster  Association, 
and  being  patriotic  made  this  their  reason  for  wishing 
to  meet  me.  Their  friendliness  was  but  another  proof 
of  the  hospitality  of  the  people  of  Joliet,  among  whom 
I  had  come  the  day  before  as  a  comparative  stranger, 
but  whom  I  left  with  the  kindliest  of  feeling. 

Before  leaving,  Mr.  Conklin  suggested  that  I  ride 
along  the  tow-path  of  the  Michigan  Canal  from  Joliet 
to  Chanahon,  and  I  followed  his  advice,  having  din- 
ner at  the  latter  place.  It  happened  that  the  inn- 
keeper was  well  supplied  with  sweet  cider  and  I  helped 
him  to  dispose  of  it  by  drinking  the  contents  of  six 
well-filled  glasses.  Beyond  Chanahon,  on  the  Illinois 
River,  I  borrowed  a  hook  and  line  of  a  farmer  who 
was  fishing  and  caught  twenty-three  perch  in  half  an 
hour. 

At  four  o'clock  I  reached  the  summit  of  a  hill  on 
the  border  of  a  prairie  from  which  I  could  look  off 
for  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  over  a  fertile  country 
through  which  two  silver  streams  wound  to  unite  just 
below — the  Kankakee  here  paying  tribute  to  the  Illi- 
nois. The  atmosphere  was  perfect — clear  and  pure; 
the  trees  were  tinged  red  and  yellow  with  the  first 
frosts,  and  to  all  this  was  added  the  glory  of  the  sun- 
set which  I  lingered  to  admire  before  turning  away 
from  so  charming  a  scene. 

Such  a  view  leaves  a  deep  impress  on  the  memory, 
and  stirs  recollections  of  more  youthful  days.  Emotions 
like  these  have  a  purifying  effect  upon  all  men. 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT.  337 


©ue  §untireir  mrti  Sfytrtg-saonl) 

Clifton  House, 

OTTAWA,   ILLINOIS, 

September  Twentieth. 

I  rode  out  of  Morris  in  the  morning  just  as  the  pub- 
lic school  bells  were  ringing  nine  o'clock.  My  journey 
now  lay  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Illinois  River, 
and  took  me  through  some  of  the  finest  cornfields  I 
had  ever  seen.  Acres  and  acres,  miles  and  miles 
stretched  in  all  directions  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
whenever  the  elevation  of  the  road  was  high  enough 
above  this  waving  sea  of  grain  to  allow  me  to  look 
about  me.  Otherwise  I  passed  through  it  completely 
shut  in,  except  as  I  could  look  ahead  and  behind 
and  see  the  avenue  of  giant  stalks.  My  horse,  six- 
teen hands  high,  did  not  elevate  me  sufficiently  to 
enable  me,  sitting  in  the  saddle,  to  look  over  the 
corn  tops  and  they  still  towered  above  me  like  small 
trees. 

Those  who  are  privileged  to  see  this  agricultural 
wonder  must,  however,  associate  it  with  that  other 
source  of  pride  among  Illinois  farmers — the  "  hogs  " — 
for  most  of  this  splendid  harvest  is  fed  to  these  ani- 
mals and  they,  well-fattened  thereby,  are  driven  to 
market.  Thus  the  enterprising  farmer  is  saved  the 
expense  of  hauling  his  corn  to  Chicago  or  other  points, 
as  the  pork,  into  which  it  has  been  transformed,  is  able 
to  carry  itself. 

All  along  my  route  across  the  "  Sucker  State,"  I 
encountered,  day  after  day,  white  hogs  and  black  hogs, 
hogs  of  every  grade  and  shade,  my  horse  often  step- 


388         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

ping  aside  in  equine  dignity  to  allow  a  drowsy  or 
pugnacious  porker  to  pass. 

As  I  had  determined  to  reach  Ottawa  by  nightfall, 
I  was  compelled  to  ride  nearly  all  day  in  a  drizzling 
rain  which  at  noon  was  followed  by  a  heavy  thunder 
shower.  This  I  took  advantage  of  by  stopping  at 
Seneca  for  dinner,  and  then  pushed  forward.  Was 
forced  to  halt  again  at  three  o'clock  on  account  of  rain, 
and  being  near  a  farm  house  was  invited  to  come  in 
while  the  good  people  took  care  of  my  horse. 

Overtook  a  troop  of  boys  on  horseback  near  Ottawa 
and  had  their  lively  company  into  town.  There  I 
met  an  old  acquaintance — Mr.  Kean — who  was  among 
the  first  to  greet  me.  My  time  was  passed  pleasantly 
here,  and  I  would  do  injustice  to  the  proprietor  of  the 
Clifton  were  I  to  forget  the  many  courtesies  politely 
extended  to  me  while  his  guest. 


©ne  fjunkei  cmi  drtjirtg-ttjirb 

Harrison  House, 

LA   SALLE,   ILLINOIS, 

September  Twenty-first. 

Left  the  Clifton  House,  Ottawa,  at  two  P.  M.  The 
weather  was  still  in  an  unsettled  condition  which 
obliged  me  to  make  my  way  as  best  I  could  between 
showers  in  order  to  keep  my  lecture  appointment  at  La 
Salle.  I  considered  it  fortunate  that  my  route  was 
now  along  the  west  bank  of  the  Illinois,  a  stream  in 
which  I  had  long  been  interested  owing  to  the  impor- 
tant part  it  played  as  a  convenient  and  favorite  water 
course  for  the  early  explorers  of  the  Valley  of  the  Mis- 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT.  389 

sissippi.  Between  its  verdant  banks,  Joliet,  Mar- 
quette,  La  Salle  and  others  glided  on  their  way  to  the 
great  stream.  How  the  lover  of  history  and  adven- 
ture thrills  at  the  accounts  of  La  Salle's  Fort  Creve- 
Coeur,  and  his  colony  scattered  over  this  same  region 
of  country ! 

Probably  none  of  these  historic  men  paid  a  more 
flattering  tribute  to  "  La  Riviere  des  Illinois"  than 
Hennepin,  the  priest,  who,  when  passing  down  it  to 
the  Mississippi  was  not  too  much  oppressed  with  anx- 
iety to  admire  its  charms.  What  a  different  appear- 
ance its  shores  presented  in  1680  to  that  of  1876!  In 
place  of  the  forest,  waving  corn  fields  under  high  cul- 
tivation attracted  my  attention  on  every  hand,  and  in 
contrast  to  the  wilderness  inhabited  by  the  savages 
that  Hennepin  feared,  I  saw  an  emigrant  train  peace- 
ably moving  along  on  its  way  from  the  East  to  the 
promising  country  west,  of  the  Mississippi. 


©ne  Jjtmbtti  anb  ®l)irtj>-{cmrtl) 

Harrison  House, 
LA   SALLE,    ILLINOIS, 
September  Twenty-second.    • 

The  equinoctial  storms  were  now  at  their  height  and 
as  my  lecture  at  Davenport  was  not  to  be  delivered  for 
some  days,  I  decided  to  spend  a  day  or  two  in  this 
pleasant  little  city,  until  "  Old  Sol "  had  "  crossed  the 
line." 

I  found  that  this  is  the  centre  of  important  coal  and 
lead  mines,  which  I  should  have  visited  and  examined, 
superficially  at  least,  had  not  the  inclement  weather 


390         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

prevented.  Through  the  courtesy  of  Colonel  Stephens, 
editor  of  the  La  Salle  County  Press  and  a  colonel 
in  the  volunteer  service  during  the  late  war,  I  was  in- 
troduced to  many  of  the  citizens  who  told  me  much  of 
the  history  and  enterprises  of  their  town. 


Harrison  House, 

LA   SALLE,   ILLINOIS, 

September  Twenty-third. 

Rode  down  to  Peru  in  the  morning  accompanied  by 
Colonel  Stephens,  who  wished  to  show  me  the  pride 
of  the  county — the  big  plow  works,  which  constitute 
the  leading  industry  of  the  place.  Was  introduced  to 
members  of  the  firm  and  shown  through  the  various 
departments  of  the  establishment,  which  were  certainly 
imposing  in  the  way  of  machinery  and  in  the  evidence 
of  mechanical  skill.  We  returned  to  La  Salle  at  four 
o'clock  and  my  hospitable  comrade  proposed  that  we 
take  a  stroll  through  the  city,  to  which  I  quickly 
consented. 

Colonel  Stephens  introduced  me  to  my  audience  in 
the  evening,  he  being  one  of  the  gentlemen  with  me 
on  the  platform.  My  entertainment  here  was  most 
gratifying  and  I  was  warmly  assured  of  the  good  will 
of  the  people  through  the  local  press. 

I  have  proved  that  everywhere  in  this  country  the 
spirit  of  hospitality  reigns.  Whether  in  large  cities 
or  small  towns,  the  utmost  cordiality  prevails,  and  the 
stranger  is  assured  of  a  hearty  welcome. 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT.  391 

(Due  JJunbrA  curtr  <Il)irtjv0i*tl)  JDag. 

Farm,  House, 

NEAR  HOLLOWAYVILLE,  ILLINOIS, 
September  Twenty-fourth. 

Upon  leaving  La  Salle  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, I  was  told  that  I  would  have  no  difficulty  in  se- 
curing accommodations  for  myself  and  horse  at  Hol- 
lowayville,  so,  with  the  assurance  of  finding  every- 
thing lovely  here,  I  jogged  along  over  the  intervening 
twelve  miles  at  my  leisure. 

My  feelings  can  better  be  imagined  than  described 
when,  on  my  arrival  at  the  little  hamlet,  I  was  looked 
upon  with  suspicion.  The  simple-minded  inhabitants 
hinted  that  I  might  possibly  be  a  "  highwayman  "  or  a 
"  horse  thief/'  or,  for  aught  they  knew,  one  of  the 
James  or  Younger  brothers.  These  desperadoes  were 
then  exciting  the  people  on  both  sides  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  my  equipment,  set  off  with  high  top  boots 
and  gauntlets,  with  the  peculiar  trappings  of  my 
horse,  only  made  matters  worse. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  secure  lodging  in  the  vil- 
lage, I  rode  on  into  the  country,  stopping  at  a  farm 
house  which  looked  inviting.  I  entered  the  front  yard 
slowly  and  with  dignity  to  dispel  the  horse  thief  sus- 
picion. The  farmer's  daughter,  a  young  girl  of  seven- 
teen or  eighteen  years,  and  a  few  farm  hands,  stood 
about,  of  whom  I  asked  if  the  master  of  the  place  was 
at  home.  The  girl  took  me  within,  and  Monsieur 
and  Madame  Croisant  received  me.  They  were  both 
in  bed,  ill,  but  looking  quite  comfortable  with  their 
heads  pointing  in  different  directions.  They  carried 


392        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

on  a  lively  conversation  in  French,  the  daughter  inter- 
preting, and  in  conclusion,  after  assuring  them  that  I 
was  a  harmless  person,  very  tired  and  hungry,  they 
decided,  if  the  clergyman  of  the  place  thought  it  safe, 
that  I  might  stay  with  them.  The  dominie  was  called, 
looked  me  over  a  few  minutes,  cross-questioned  me, 
and  approved. 

My  room  that  night  was  unique  in  more  ways  than 
one  and  would  have  been  punishment  enough  for 
Jesse  James  himself. 

When  I  retired  I  detected  a  strong  odor  in  the  room 
and  found  it  due  to  a  collection  of  sabots,  or  wooden 
shoes,  seemingly  centuries  old,  which  were  arranged  in 
a  row  under  my  bed.  What  to  do  with  them  was  a 
question,  as,  under  the  circumstances,  I  did  not  think  it 
best  to  tamper  with  the  feelings  of  my  host  and  host- 
ess. As  my  room  was  on  the  ground  floor,  I  decided 
to  place  the  sabots  carefully  outside  under  the  window 
and  take  them  in  in  the  morning  before  the  family  was 
up.  Unfortunately  it  rained  and  I  overslept,  so  the 
shoes  were  discovered  full  of  water  before  I  appeared. 
However,  nothing  was  said  and  I  ate  my  breakfast 
in  peace,  the  good  people  probably  thanking  their 
stars  that  they  and  their  house  had  not  been  robbed. 

Before  leaving  in  the  morning  the  La  Salle  County 
Press  was  handed  me  by  Miss  Croisant,  in  which  I 
read  the  following  flattering  notice  of  my  lecture  in 
that  city  and  which  in  some  measure  compensated  for 
my  unpleasant  reception  at  Holloway  ville  : 

"  We  have  not  often  met  with  a  more  agreeable  and  pleasant  gentle- 
man than  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  who  entertained  a  very  respect- 
able number  of  our  citizens  at  Opera  Hall  on  Saturday  evening  by 
delivering  a  lecture  on  '  Echoes  from  the  Revolution.'  The  captain 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT.  393 

has  a  fine  voice  and  his  manner  of  delivery  is  decidedly  interesting, 
while  his  language  is  eloquent  and  fascinating.  His  description  of 
the  battles  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  heroes  who  took  part  in  them, 
from  the  engagement  on  the  little  green  at  Lexington  down  to  the 
surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  was  grand  indeed,  and  was  re- 
ceived with  frequent  arid  enthusiastic  applause.  In  conclusion  he 
referred  in  an  eloquent  and  touching  manner  to  the  'Boys  in  Blue,* 
who  took  part  in  the  late  war  for  the  Union,  and  all  retired  from  the 
hall  feeling  that  the  evening  had  been  spent  in  an  agreeable  and 
profitable  manner. 

"  Captain  Glazier  served  under  Generals  Kilpatrick  and  Custer 
during  the  late  war,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  much  labor  to 
writing  and  is  now  making  the  attempt  to  cross  the  continent  from 
Boston  to  San  Francisco  on  horseback,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting 
material  for  another  work.  He  left  Boston  the  early  part  of  May, 
and  will  endeavor  to  reach  the  Sacramento  Valley  before  the  fall  of 
the  deep  snow.  His  horse,  Paul  Revere,  is  a  magnificent  animal, 
black  as  a  raven,  with  the  exception  of  four  white  feet.  He  was 
bred  in  Kentucky  of  Black  Hawk  stock,  has  turned  a  mile  in  2.33, 
but  owing  to  his  inclination  to  run  away  on  certain  occasions,  was 
not  considered  a  safe  horse  for  the  track.  The  captain,  however,  has 
broken  him  to  the  saddle,  and  also  convinced  him  that  running  away 
is  foolish  business;  consequently,  he  and  the  captain  have  become 
fast  friends,  and  with  Paul  for  his  only  companion,  the  gallant  cav- 
alryman proposes  to  cross  the  continent.  Success  attend  him  1 " 


©\\t  Jjjuui&rcb  am)  tljhrtg-BttKtttlj  JPag. 

Ellsworth  House, 

WYANET,    ILLINOIS, 

September  Twenty-fifth. 

The  equinoctial  storms  which  had  been  raging  since 
I  left  Ottawa,  were,  for  a  few  days  at  least,  at  an  end, 
and  a  bright  autumn  sun  greeted  me  every  morning 
as  I  rode  onward.  Rich  cornfields  stretched  away  on 
either  side  of  the  road,  their  monotony  broken  here 
and  there  by  fine  apple  and  peach  orchards  just  com- 
ing into  their  glory.  Another  characteristic  of  Illi- 
nois— fine  stock  farms — were  also  noticeable,  and  thus 


394         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

for  another  stage  of  fourteen  miles,  surrounded  by 
evidences  of  fertility  and  thrift,  I  passed  on,  reaching 
Wyanet  early  in  the  evening. 


©tie  JJtmftreb  cmft  ®l)irtn-rigl)tl) 

Private  House, 
ANN  A  WAN,    ILLINOIS, 

September  Twenty-sixth. 

Before  leaving  Wyanet  I  had  Paul's  bridle — a 
Mexican  make — repaired,  and  when  it  was  again  used 
he  chafed  at  the  restraint  of  the  curb.  Not  for  long 
though,  for  we  were  soon  on  the  prairie,  he  evidently 
enjoying  it  as  much  as  his  master.  The  roads  were 
rougher  than  usual  and  there  was  a  change  here  in  the 
soil,  its  black  clayey  loam  being  very  rich  and  pro- 
ductive, making  Henry  County  noted  for  its  fine 
farms.  Eighteen  miles  of  grass-covered  prairie,  diver- 
sified by  cultivated  fields,  brought  me  to  Annawan, 
where  I  was  the  guest  of  O.  T.  Buttermore,  and  while 
at  this  place  I  received  the  following  gratifying  com- 
munication from  Colonel  Stephens  of  La  Salle — fur- 
ther proof  of  the  good  will  to  "  the  stranger  within 
their  gates,"  of  the  citizens  of  La  Salle : 

LA  SALLE,  ILLINOIS, 

September  25,  1876. 
To  CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER  : 

I  take  pleasure  in  expressing  to  you  on  behalf  of  many  of  our 
citizens,  the  gratification  afforded  our  people  who  listened  to  your 
instructive  and  entertaining  lecture  given  at  Opera  Hall  on  Saturday 
evening  last.  While  in  conversation  with  several  of  our  prominent 
citizens,  among  them,  W.  A.  Work,  superintendent  of  our  puhlic 
schools ;  A.  J.  O'Connor,  clerk  of  the  city  court ;  W.  T.  Mason,  Esq., 
and  others,  all  of  whom  were  present  and  heard  your  lecture,  I  was 
requested  to  write  you  and  tender  their  hearty  thanks  for  the  enter- 


CHICAGO  TO  DAVENPORT.  397 

tainment  and  their  good  wishes  for  your  success  in  your  ride  across 
the  continent.  Should  you  ever  again  visit  our  city  you  can  rest  as- 
sured you  will  be  most  cordially  received. 

Very  truly  yours, 

K.  C.  STEPHENS, 
Late  Colonel  U.  S.  Volunteers. 


©ne  $unftreb  cmii  SUjirtg-nin 

Farm  House, 
BETWEEN  GENESSEO  AND  MOLINE,  ILLINOIS, 

September  Twenty-seventh. 

Started  away  from  Annawan  at  nine  o'clock  but 
after  riding  about  a  mile  and  a  half  I  discovered  that 
I  had  left  my  journal  and  was  obliged  to  return  for  it. 
All  day  I  was  on  a  seemingly  endless  prairie,  dotted 
here  and  there  with  cornfields  and  apple  orchards. 
Illinois  takes  the  lead  in  stock-raising,  and  the  horses 
and  cattle  seen  in  this  day's  ride  were  fully  up  to  the 
best  standard. 

Had  dinner  at  the  house  of  a  coal  miner,  whom  I 
found  very  intelligent,  and  was  well  entertained  by 
a  talk  on  mining  industries  in  Illinois  from  a  practi- 
cal point  of  view.  This  is  a  bituminous  coal  region 
and  there  are  mines  in  operation  all  over  the  State. 

My  host,  Pullman  by  name,  had  recently  returned 
from  the  Pacific  coast  and  to  my  eager  inquiries  was 
able  to  tell  me  much  about  the  country  between 
Omaha  and  Sacramento. 

At  night,  after  having  made  twenty-one  miles,  I 
reached  this  place  and  was  domiciled  with  the  family 
of  Mrs.  Charlotte  Bills,  who  came  formerly  from  Jef- 
ferson County,  New  York.  As  my  native  county  of 
Saint  Lawrence  adjoins  Jefferson,  the  Bills  and  I  had 


398         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

a  lively  talk  on  "Old  York  State,"  and  I  became 
much  interested  in  the  work  of  this  enterprising  wo- 
man and  her  family. 

Mrs.  Bills  has  succeeded  in  a  direction  which  has 
not  generally  been  attempted  by  women;  this  is  the 
management  of  a  farm.  She  does  a  good  business  and 
supports  herself  and  children  by  raising  corn  for 
which,  in  this  stock-raising  locality,  she  finds  a  ready 
market.  The  corn  is  generally  bought  for  hog  feed 
and  as  these  animals  quickly  fatten  upon  it,  it  is  prof- 
itable. The  practical  rather  than  the  romantic  has 
place  with  these  Western  people  who  are  striving  for 
a  livelihood.  Each  day  gave  me  new  ideas  of  peo- 
ple and  their  occupations — but  this  woman-farmer 
was  something  unusual  and  certainly  very  praise- 
worthy. 

€)ue  fijuitirrit  anb  JorttctI)  ?Bat). 

Milan  House, 
MILAN,   ILLINOIS, 

September  Twenty-eighth. 

Mounted  my  horse  at  eight  o'clock  and  by  easy 
riding  reached  a  farm  house  in  Rock  River  Bottom, 
where  I  passed  the  noon  hour.  After  dinner  I  made 
good  time  as  the  weather  had  changed  and  become 
cold,  reminding  me  of  the  necessity  of  hurrying  on  if 
I  would  avoid  the  deep  snows  which  the  traveller  is 
sure  to  encounter  in  the  elevated  regions  farther  west 
and  it  was  every  day  more  evident  that  I  could  not 
well  afford  to  allow  my  lecture  appointments  to  con- 
flict with  the  dispatch  of  my  journey. 

On  starting  from  Genesseo  in  the  morning  it  was 


CHICAGO   TO  DAVENPORT.  401 

my  intention  to  make  Moline  the  evening  objective, 
but  I  was  compelled  to  halt  at  Milan — twenty  miles 
from  the  morning  starting-point — where  the  bridge 
was  torn  up  that  crossed  Rock  River  at  this  point. 
Being  delayed,  I  sent  a  note  forward  to  Davenport  in- 
forming Babcock  that  I  would  cross  the  Mississippi 
the  following  afternoon  at  three  o'clock ;  in  the  mean- 
time waiting,  with  what  patience  I  could  muster,  for 
the  bridge  work  to  proceed. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

FOUR   DAYS   AT   DAVENPORT. 

i 

| LEFT  the  Milan  House  at  two  p.  M., 
Paul  being  eager  for  the  start.  Before 
proceeding  far  I  dismounted  and  ran 
ahead  leaving  him  to  follow  me  if  he 
would.  I  ran  over  two  or  three  small 
hills  and  the  faithful  animal  broke  into  a 
gallop  and  was  soon  by  my  side  mutely 
inviting  me  to  remount.  About  four 
o'clock  we  crossed  the  Mississippi  on  the 
fine  Government  Bridge  which  unites  Rock  Island  and 
Davenport,  and  proceeded  to  the  Burtis  House — since 
named  the  Kimball.  Colonel  P.  A.  J.  Russell  was  one 
of  the  first  to  greet  me.  Moore's  Hall  having  been 
engaged  for  my  lecture,  I  spoke  at  the  usual  hour 
to  a  large  audience,  to  whom  General  Sanders  intro- 
duced me.  The  local  band  in  full  uniform  volun- 
teered their  services  for  the  occasion.  The  lecture  was 
a  financial  success. 

The  next  three  days  were  occupied  in  making  my 
acquaintance  with  the  city.  It  is  only  fifty  years  ago 
that  the  first  cabin  was  erected  here  by  white  men.  By 
the  side  of  the  great  river  a  bluff  rises  gradually  to  an 
elevation  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  on 
(402) 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DAVENPORT.  403 

its  side  and  at  its  base  the  city  of  Davenport  is  built. 
Over  a  bluff  we  come  upon  a  beautiful  rolling  prairie, 
and  back  as  far  as  Duck  Creek  the  land  is  covered 
with  fruit,  vegetable  and  flower  gardens,  and  presents 
a  picture  of  uncommon  beauty.  Views  of  the  Missis- 
sippi are  obtained  from  the  summit  of  the  bluff;  also 
of  Rock  Island  Arsenal  and  Rock  Island  City  on  the 
opposite  shore  of  the  river. 

In  1832,  General  Winfield  Scott  made  a  treaty 
with  the  Indians  of  the  Sac  tribe  for  the  purchase  by 
the  United  States  of  the  land  occupied  by  them  bor- 
dering on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  city  of 
Davenport  was  named  after  Colonel  George  Daven- 
port, the  first  white  settler.  Antoine  Le  Claire  was 
the  first  to  own  land  in  Davenport.  His  mother 
was  the  daughter  of  a  Pottawatomie  chief  and  his 
father  a  French  Canadian.  At  this  time  the  North- 
west territory  was  peopled  entirely  by  Indians,  with 
here  and  there  one  of  a  different  race  fearless  enough 
to  brave  the  dangers  of  a  frontier  life.  Le  Claire  pur- 
chased the  claim  upon  which  the  city  of  Davenport 
was  laid  out  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  In 
1835,  he  sold  it  to  a  company  who  commenced  the 
building  of  the  city.  The  first  ferry  between  Daven- 
port and  Rock  Island  dates  from  1835.  It  was  a  flat- 
boat  propelled  by  oars.  At  present  a  large  steamboat 
is  constantly  employed  in  transferring  passengers  and 
freight  between  these  cities.  The  river  is  about  a 
mile  in  width  at  this  point. 

Davenport  excels  all  the  other  cities  of  the  State  in 
the  beauty  and  advantages  of  its  location.  The  view 
from  the  hill-tops  is  scarcely  to  be  equalled  for  pic- 

turesqueness  by  anything  I  saw  during  my  journey. 
20 


404          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

The  city  has  made  great  and  rapid  progress  in  its 
industries,  wealth  and  population.  The  education  of 
the  young  is  well  provided  for.  It  has  a  high  school 
built  at  a  cost  of  $65,000.  Griswold  College — Episco- 
palian— occupies  a  very  picturesque  site,  over-looking 
the  river.  The  Catholic  College  is  in  a  retired  and 
quiet  spot,  surrounded  by  beautifully  shaded  grounds, 
the  buildings  being  elegant  and  commodious.  The 
churches  are  numerous,  every  denomination  being 
represented.  Grace  Church,  the  protestant  Cathedral, 
is  a  fine  substantial  edifice,  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$80,000. 

The  Public  Library  on  Brady  street,  founded  by 
Mrs.  Clarissa  Cook,  a  lady  of  wealth,  is  a  highly  prized 
and  flourishing  institution.  The  Academy  of  Sciences 
embraces  a  most  valuable  and  unique  collection  of  rare 
curiosities,  both  ancient  and  modern,  among  others, 
relics  from  the  mounds  of  Iowa  and  adjoining  States, 
including  skulls  and  skeletons  of  pre-historic  man. 

The  population  of  Davenport  is  now  about  20,000. 
On  account  of  its  being  built  on  a  declivity  the  drainage 
is  perfect.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  most  fertile  country 
and  possesses  every  element  for  the  growth  of  a  large 
city. 

Recrossingthe  magnificent  bridge  spanning  the  river 
between  Davenport  and  the  Illinois  shores,  I  found 
myself  on  Rock  Island.  The  Island  lies  to  the  north 
of  the  city,  the  latter  not  being  located  on  the  Island 
but  on  the  mainland  of  Illinois.  Since  1804  the 
Island  proper  has  been  the  property  of  the  United 
States  Government,  although  not  occupied  until  1812, 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with  England.  The 
surface  is  very  fertile,  and  coal  and  limestone  are 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DAVENPORT.  407 

found  in  large  quantities.  It  is  about  three  miles 
long,  covering  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  An 
arsenal  and  armory  are  located  here.  A  fort  was 
erected  in  1816,  and  named  Fort  Armstrong.  It 
was  garrisoned  until  May,  1836,  when  it  was  evac- 
uated. An  ordnance  depot  was  established  by  the 
Government  in  1840.  In  1862,  by  Act  of  Con- 
gress, the  Island  was  made  a  United  States  Arse- 
nal. General  Thomas  J.  Rodman  was  the  first 
appointed  to  the  command  and  held  the  position 
until  his  death.  In  1869,  Congress  appropriated 
$500,000  for  a  bridge  across  the  Mississippi  uniting 
the  Island  with  the  city  of  Davenport.  This  fine 
structure  is  a  railroad  and  wagon  bridge  and  affords 
all  necessary  facilities  for  the  movement  of  military 
stores.  General  Rodman  was  succeeded  in  the  com- 
mand of  the  Arsenal,  in  1871,  by  Colonel  D.  W. 
Flagler  of  the  Ordnance  Corps,  and  the  Island  has 
become,  under  his  management,  the  strongest  military 
post  on  the  Mississippi.  Substantial  quarters  for  the 
officers  of  the  garrison  and  barracks  for  the  soldiers, 
have  been  erected,  also  a  bridge  connecting  the  Island 
with  the  city  of  Moline. 

Rock  Island  is  connnected  with  Rock  Island  City 
on  the  Illinois  shore  and  with  Davenport  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  also  with  Moline  on 
the  east  side  about  three  miles  above  Rock  Island. 

In  the  spring  of  1828,  there  were  only  nine  white 
men  and  their  families  on  the  site  now  occupied  by 
Rock  Island  City ;  the  Indians  of  the  Sac  tribe  were 
much  aggrieved  by  the  whites  taking  possession  of 
their  lands  while  the  latter  were  away  on  their  hunting 
expeditions.  Black  Hawk,  chief  of  the  tribe,  took 


408         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HOESEBACK. 

great  offence  and  protested  strongly  against  it,  and  as 
the  number  of  white  settlers  increased  the  discontent 
of  the  Indians  grew  stronger.  They  were  urged  by 
the  commanding  officer  of  the  Island  and  the  Indian 
agent,  Colonel  Davenport,  to  move  across  to  the  west 
side  of  the  river  in  compliance  with  their  treaty  with 
the  United  States  Government;  but  Black  Hawk 
refused  to  move  and  contended  that  the  Island  was 
his  property.  The  Fox  tribe  crossed  the  river  and 
established  themselves  there.  The  lands  on  the  Illi- 
nois side  were  now  surveyed  and  sold  to  the  settlers  by 
the  Government,  but  Black  Hawk  and  the  Sacs  still 
refused  to  leave.  Depredations  were  committed  by  the 
Indians  of  which  the  whites  complained,  and  in  1831 
Black  Hawk  gave  notice  to  the  settlers  to  leave  his 
lands.  Some  neighboring  tribes  it  was  now  feared, 
would  unite  with  the  Sacs  in  an  attack  on  the  settlers, 
who  petitioned  the  military  authorities  and  the  Gover- 
nor of  Illinois  to  protect  them,  and  in  this  way  what 
is  known  as  the  Black  Hawk  War  originated. 

In  response  to  the  complaints  of  the  settlers,  Gov- 
ernor Reynolds,  of  Illinois,  called  out  sixteen  hundred 
mounted  volunteers  and  marched  -them  to  the  Island 
and  General  Gaines  at  Saint  Louis  proceeded  immedi- 
ately to  the  scene  of  action  with  the  Sixth  United  States 
Infantry.  General  Gaines  ordered  all  the  settlers  to 
move  to  the  Island,  and  then  invited  Black  Hawk  to 
talk  over  the  situation.  The  military  and  settlers  met 
in  the  Council  House,  and  Black  Hawk,  with  about 
one  hundred  warriors  in  their  war  paint,  approached 
and  entered  and  soon  commenced  shouting  in  an 
intimidating  manner.  It  was  thought  that  an  attempt 
at  a  general  massacre  would  be  made.  An  Indian 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DAVENPORT.  409 

called  "The  Prophet"  raised  his  voice  very  high, 
gesticulating  and  speaking  rapidly  in  an  angry  tone 
as  if  he  desired  to  excite  the  warriors  to  an  attack. 
At  length  quiet  was  obtained  and  General  Gaines 
spoke  to  Black  Hawk,  reminding  him  of  the  sale  of 
the  lands  in  dispute  to  the  United  States  Government. 
Black  Hawk  and  his  followers  claimed  that  the  lands 
had  never  been  sold.  The  treaty  was  then  read  and 
explained  to  the  chief,  which  seemed  to  enrage  him 
greatly.  Black  Hawk  shouted  :  "  The  white  people 
speak  from  paper,  but  the  Indian  always  speaks  from 
the  heart."  He  further  said  that  their  lands  had  not 
been  sold,  that  the  men  who  signed  the  treaty  had  no 
authority  to  do  so,  or  to  sell  their  land.  And  even  if  it 
was  sold,  they  were  not  paid  for  it.  The  General  said 
that  the  Government  had  assigned  him  and  his  people 
land  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi.  His  only 
answer  was  that  he  would  neither  leave  nor  fight  and 
if  the  whites  attempted  to  drive  him  off,  he  would  sit 
down  in  his  wigwam  and  they  might  do  what  they 
liked  with  him.  General  Gaines  understood  by  this 
that  he  would  defend  what  he  considered  his  rights. 

Preparations  for  an  attack  were  now  made  by  the 
commanding  officers  and  Governor  Reynolds,  and  on 
June  19,  1831,  troops  were  assembled  near  the  mouth 
of  Rock  River.  The  next  morning  they  moved 
upon  the  Indian  village.  Black  Hawk,  however,  and 
all  his  people  had  left  in  the  night,  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  were  camped  a  few  miles  below  Rock 
Island.  Ten  days  after,  the  chief  presented  himself  on 
the  Island  with  twenty-seven  warriors  and  voluntarily 
signed  a  treaty  of  peace  with  General  Gaines  and  the 
Governor  of  Illinois,  the  latter  representing  the 


410         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

National  Government.  The  terms  of  this  treaty  in- 
cluded a  pledge  on  the  part  of  Black  Hawk  not  to 
return  to  the  east  side  of  the  river  or  give  any  more 
trouble  to  the  white  settlers. 

In  the  following  winter,  Black  Hawk  refused  to 
keep  the  treaty  any  longer  and  in  April,  1832,  he  and 
about  five  hundred  of  his  braves  crossed  the  Mississippi 
at  Burlington  and  moved  up  the  east  bank  of  the  river 
with  his  women  and  children,  intending  to  drive  out 
the  settlers  and  return  to  their  old  village  on  the 
Island.  The  Winnebagoes  and  other  Indians  were  to 
have  assisted  him  in  recovering  the  land.  This  news 
soon  reached  Saint  Louis  and  Colonel  Atkinson  with 
a  body  of  infantry  left  that  city  for  Rock  Island. 
Zachary  Taylor,  afterwards  President  of  the  United 
States,  was  in  command  of  a  company,  and  Lieutenant 
Jefferson  Davis,  afterwards  President  of  the  Confed- 
erate States,  was  attached  to  the  same  regiment  through- 
out this  campaign. 

About  two  thousand  volunteers  were  brought  for- 
ward by  Governor  Reynolds  of  Illinois,  assembling 
at  Beardstown  and  marching  to  Yellow  Banks,  fifty 
miles  below  Rock  Island.  They  moved  to  the  mouth 
of  Rock  River  where  they  were  joined  by  Colonel 
Atkinson  and  his  regulars.  The  volunteers  were 
under  the  command  of  General  Whiteside,  and  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  afterwards  President  of  the  United 
States,  served  under  him  as  captain  of  a  company. 
The  Indians  had  ascended  Rock  River  and  halted 
opposite  Rock  Island,  the  women  and  children  having 
been  sent  higher  up  the  river  in  canoes.  Black  Hawk 
now  made  an  attempt  to  capture  Fort  Armstrong. 
He  crossed  to  the  Island  with  his  warriors  in  the 


FOtlR  DAYS  AT  DAVENPORT.  411 

night,  but  a  violent  storm  arising  interfered  with  his 
plans  that  night,  and  in  the  morning  Colonel  Atkin- 
son's Infantry  arrived  and  drove  them  from  the  Island. 
They  followed  their  women  up  Rock  River,  pursued 
by  Colonel  Atkinson  and  the  volunteers  under  General 
Whiteside. 

Nearly  the  whole  of  Black  Hawk's  band  was  de- 
stroyed in  the  following  months  of  May,  June,  July 
and  August,  and  Black  Hawk  himself  was  captured 
and  removed  as  a  prisoner  to  the  Island.  He  and  his 
son  Seoskuk,  and  other  chiefs,  were  afterwards  taken 
to  Washington  and  other  eastern  cities.  On  his 
return  from  his  eastern  tour,  Black  Hawk  settled 
down  with  a  remnant  of  his  own  tribe  on  Des  Moines 
River,  where  he  died  in  1838. 

The  Sacs  and  Foxes  are  believed  to  have  originally 
come  from  the  vicinity  of  Montreal,  Canada,  about  the 
year  1700,  and  had  lived  on  or  near,  Rock  Island  over 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years.  After  the  close  of  the 
"  Black  Hawk  War "  there  were  no  hostilities  with 
the  Indians  at  Rock  Island. 

During  the  late  Civil  War  the  Island  was  converted 
into  a  military  prison  and  upwards  of  12,000  Con- 
federate prisoners  were  confined  here.  About  2,000 
died  and  were  buried  on  the  Island. 

A  pleasant  day  may  be  passed  in  wandering  over 
the  Island,  which  is  now  an  important  United  States 
Arsenal  for  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Rock  Island  City  is  situated  on  the  mainland  on 
the  Illinois  bank  of  the  river.  East  of  the  city, 
stretching  away  to  Rock  River,  are  some  picturesque 
bluffs  and  scenery  of  great  beauty.  On  the  .sides  of  the 
hills  are  many  comfortable  residences  of  well-to-do 


412        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

citizens.  The  city  is  about  midway  between  Saint 
Louis  and  Saint  Paul,  and  immediately  opposite  the 
larger  city  of  Davenport,  Iowa.  The  iron  bridge 
owned  by  the  United  States  Government  and  connect- 
ing the  two  cities  is  open  to  the  public  free  of  toll. 

The  water  power  produced  by  the  rapids  has  largely 
contributed  to  the  growth  of  Rock  Island  City,  and 
also  of  Moline — a  city  of  factories — within  an  easy 
walk  of  its  neighbor.  In  the  latter  I  found  many  es- 
tablishments for  the  manufacture  of  plows,  cultivators 
and  other  farming  appliances;  also  wagons  and  car- 
riages, together  with  foundries  and  machine  shops. 

Rock  Island  City  has  a  commerce  and  trade  second 
to  no  city  of  its  size  in  the  Union.  The  centre  of  a 
system  of  railroads,  the  city  has  a  busy  aspect  at  all 
times.  The  population  at  the  time  of  my  visit  was 
about  16,000. 

\  Three  miles  from  Rock  Island  City,  inland,  is  a  re- 
sort frequented  by  the  residents  of  both  sides  of  the 
river.  Its  traditions  and  associations  are  romantic. 
It  is  known  as  Black  Haw¥s  Watch  Tower.  The 
tower  consists  of  a  rock  and  is  the  summit  of  the 
highest  hill,  overlooking  Rock  River  and  affording  an 
extensive  picture  of  the  surrounding  country.  The 
rock  derives  its  name  from  its  having  been  used  by 
Black  Hawk  as  a  point  from  which  he  could  survey 
his  lands  for  many  miles.  Tradition  says  it  was  se- 
selected  by  the  chief's  father  and  overlooked  the  tribe's 
first  village  on  the  banks  of  Rock  River.  Black 
Hawk  gave  the  following  account  of  the  place  to 
Antoine  Le  Claire  in  1833:  "The  tower  was  my 
favorite  resort  and  was  often  visited  by  me  alone, 
where  I  could  sit  and  smoke  my  pipe  and  look  with 


FOUR  DAYS  AT  DAVENPORT.  413 

wonder  and  pleasure  at  the  grand  scenes  that  were 
presented,  even  across  the  mighty  river.  On  one  oc- 
casion a  Frenchman  who  had  been  resting  in  our 
village,  brought  his  violin  with  him  to  the  Tower  to 
play  and  dance  for  the  amusement  of  my  people  who 
had  assembled  there,  and  while  dancing  with  his  back 
to  the  cliff,  accidentally  fell  over  it  and  was  killed. 
The  Indians  say  that  at  the  same  time  of  the  year  soft 
strains  of  the  violin  can  be  heard  near  the  spot."  He 
further  relates  that  in  the  year  1827,  a  young  Sioux 
Indian,  who  was  lost  in  a  violent  snow-storm,  found 
his  way  into  a  camp  of  the  Sacs,  and  while  there,  fell 
in  love  with  a  beautiful  maiden.  On  leaving  for  his 
own  country  he  promised  to  return  in  the  summer  and 
claim  his  bride.  He  did  so,  secreting  himself  in  the 
woods  until  he  met  the  object  of  his  affection.  A 
heavy  thunder-storm  was  coming  on  at  the  time,  and 
the  lovers  took  shelter  under  a  rocky  cliff  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Tower.  Soon  a  loud  peal  of  thunder  was 
heard ;  the  cliff  was  rent  into  a  thousand  pieces  and 
they  were  buried  beneath  them.  "  This,  their  unex- 
pected tomb/'  says  Black  Hawk,  "  still  remains  undis- 
turbed." 

In  the  spring,  summer  and  autumn  many  hundreds 
of  visitors  climb  to  the  Tower,  especially  on  Sunday  and 
holidays,  and  while  breathing  the  pure,  healthful  at- 
mosphere, enjoy  delightful  views  of  the  surrounding 
country  and  the  majestic  river  at  their  feet.  The 
Davenport  family  own  the  property,  which,  however, 
is  accessible  to  all  visitors. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

DAVENPORT  TO    DES    MOINES. 

©nc     unbreb  aui> 


Farm  House, 

NEAR  BLUE  GRASS,  IOWA, 
October  3,  1876. 

JEATHER  cold,  but  clear  and  bracing. 
Mounted  Paul  at  three  o'clock  P.  M. 
and  halted  at  the  office  of  The  Democrat, 
to  say  good-bye  to  Colonel  Russell.  On 
the  road  I  overtook  S.  N.  Garlock,  a 
farmer,  who  invited  me  to  spend  the 
night  at  his  house,  which  I  agreed  to  do 
and  was  made  very  comfortable.  I  soon 
discovered  that  Mr.  Garlock  was  a 
native  of  the  Empire  State,  but  came  to  Iowa  twenty- 
seven  years  ago,  and  was  now  the  owner  of  a  pros- 
perous farm  near  the  village  of  Blue  Grass.  He  spoke 
of  visiting  his  old  home  in  the  East  and  his  intention 
to  proceed  by  way  of  Philadelphia  and  spend  a  day  or 
two  at  the  Centennial  Exposition.  He  said  that  many 
Western  people  were  making  arrangements  to  go  to 
the  "  Exposition  "  and  at  the  same  time  visit  their  old 
homes  and  the  old  folks  whom  they  had  not  seen  for 
many  long  years. 
(414) 


DAVENPORT  TO  DES  MOINES.  415 

®\\t  ^uuireii  cmft  Jbrtg-ab-tl) 


Iowa  House, 

Moscow,  IOWA, 

October  Fourth. 

Moscow  is  a  small  agricultural  hamlet  twenty-nine 
miles  west  of  Davenport,  with  a  population  of  less 
than  three  hundred,  but  increasing  in  number  as  the 
surrounding  region  is  occupied.  On  the  road  here 
from  Blue  Grass  I  found  the  weather  becoming  very 
cold  and  was  compelled  to  dismount  several  times  and 
walk  some  heat  into  my  body.  The  country  is  rich  in 
fertility  of  soil — generally  rolling  prairie.  The  villages 
along  the  road  are  said  to  be  growing  very  rapidly. 


©ne  lijunbreii  an&  5ortjj<~0et)m 

St.  James  Hotel, 
IOWA  CITY,  IOWA» 
October  Fifth. 

Reached  here  at  six  o'clock  P.  M.,  fifty-five  miles 
from  Davenport.  Weather,  most  of  the  day,  cold, 
cloudy  and  generally  disagreeable.  I  learn  upon  in- 
quiry that  the  land  about  here  for  miles  is,  for  the 
most  part,  settled  by  a  thrifty,  intelligent  and  enter- 
prising people,  and  is  well  adapted  to  all  the  wants  of 
the  agriculturist.  The  railroad  brings  all  the  produce 
into  market  and  farmers  and  manufacturers  have  their 
labors  rewarded.  The  soil  is  a  rich,  black  loam,  and 
often,  I  am  told,  from  five  to  ten  feet  in  depth. 

Had  supper  and  retired  to  my  room  to  attend  to 
my  correspondence. 


416        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

©ne  jjtnibreb  cmft  Jartjj-etgljtl)  Oap. 

St.  James  Hotel, 

IOWA  CITY,  IOWA, 

October  Sixth. 

The  weather  continued  extremely  cold.  Babcock 
completed  necessary  arrangements  with  the  proprietor 
of  Ham's  Hall  for  my  lecture  the  following  evening. 
In  the  meantime  I  took  a  look  at  the  city  which 
was  for  many  years  the  State  capital.  Its  most  sa- 
lient feature  appeared  to  be  the  State  University,  in 
which  both  sexes  continue  their  education  with  com- 
mendable zeal,  under  competent  professors.  There  are 
also  a  high  school,  a  female  college,  a  commercial 
college  and  several  common  schools.  Four  or  fivedaily 
and  weekly  newspapers  keep  up  the  interest  of  the  people 
in  local  affairs  and  national  politics  ;  and  four  banks 
encourage  the  thrifty  to  place  their  spare  cash  with 
them  at  interest.  Woollen  and  flax  manufactures  give 
employment  to  a  considerable  number  of  young  people, 
and  the  mills  are  said  to  be  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

The  city  has  a  large  internal  trade  as  well  as  with 
the  several  surrounding  villages. 


©ne  §unbreft  cmft  jForttMun 

St.  James  Hotel, 

IOWA  CITY,  IOWA, 

October  Seventh. 

The  former  State  House  is  a  fine  and  capacious 
building  and  an  ornament  to  the  city.  On  the  re- 
moval of  the  seat  of  government  to  Des  Moines,  one 


DAVENPORT  TO  DES  MOINES.  417 

hundred  and  twenty  miles  farther  west,  the  building 
with  its  extensive  grounds  was  granted  by  the  Legisla- 
ture to  the  State  University. 

I  also  noted  several  large  places  of  business  here, 
including  dry  goods,  groceries  and  hardware.  There 
are  several  lumber  yards,  flouring  mills,  plow  factories, 
iron  foundries,  for  manufacturing  machinery;  also 
due  proportion  to  the  population. 

The  newspapers  published  here  are,  according  to  all 
accounts,  ably  conducted  and  well  sustained.  The 
surrounding  country  is  well  adapted  to  all  the  wants  of 
the  agriculturist  and  is  thickly  settled. 

In  the  evening  I  delivered  my  promised  lecture  to  a 
very  full  house— Hon.  G.  B.  Edmunds  introducing 
me  to  the  audience.  The  walls  were  covered  with 
flags  and  a  profusion  of  flowers  greeted  me  on  my  ar- 
rival on  the  platform. 


©ne  gtmirei  anft  Jiftietlj  Da& 

Tiffin  House, 
TIFFIN,   IOWA, 

October  Eighth. 

Mounted  Paul  in  front  of  the  Saint  James  to  con- 
tinue my  journey  and  felt  the  need  of  an  overcoat. 
Drew  rein  at  Tiffin,  a  few  miles  from  Iowa  City.  Of 
Tiffin  little  more  can  be  said  than  that  it  has  a  rustic 
population  of  about  fifty  souls.  The  accommodations  at 
the  Tiffin  House  I  must  leave  to  conjecture,  as  any  de- 
scription would  fall  short  of  the  reality.  The  only 
guests  were  a  Methodist  parson,  two  farmers  on  an 


418         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

expedition  in  quest  of  apples,  and  an  overland  tourist. 
The  nabob  of  the  village  came  into  the  public  room  in 
the  course  of  the  evening — a  farmer  and  former  State 
senator.  This  "Hon."  gentleman  engrossed  our  atten- 
tion for  about  three  hours  by  a  long-winded  descrip- 
tion of  the  varieties  of  the  "  genus  hog  " — ho\v  to  breed, 
how  to  feed  and  fatten,  and  how  to  drive  him  to  mar- 
ket; all  of  which  would  probably  have  been  edifying 
and  elevating  to  the  average  Tiffinite,  but  it  made  me 
and  the  parson  drowsy  and  I  retired  to  dream  of  hogs 
and  fat  bacon  until  awakened  by  the  daylight. 


One  Jljunftrelr  cmft  Jtftg-ftr0t  Slag. 

Grand  Pacific  Hotel, 

MARENGO,  IOWA, 

October  Ninth. 

In  my  journey  from  Tiffin  I  found  it  necessary  to 
dismount  several  times  and  walk  in  order  to  drive 
away  the  sensation  of  cold.  Reached  Marengo  in  the 
evening  and  registered  at  the  Grand  Pacific  Hotel. 
Winter  seemed  to  be  approaching  with  rapid  strides  at 
this  time  and  I  was  warned  that  it  was  necessary  to  lose 
as  little  time  as  possible  at  the  different  resting-points. 

Marengo  is  eighty-five  miles  from  Davenport. 
There  is  a  good  bridge  crossing. the  Iowa  River  here, 
which  adds  much  to  the  facilities  for  doing  business. 
A  thriving  community  of  farmers  occupy  the  sur- 
rounding land.  Among  the  most  important  villages 
and  towns  in  this  and  adjoining  counties,  are  Newton, 
Grinnell,  Montezuma  and  Millersburg,  all  growing  in 
size  and  importance.  Marengo  is  the  county -seat  of 


DAVENPORT  TO  DES  MOINES.  421 

Iowa  County,  and  contains  a  population  of  nearly  two 
thousand. 

The  State  of  Iowa,  taken  as  a  whole,  is  one  of  the 
most  fertile  in  the  United  States.  The  native  prairies 
are  fields  almost  ready-made  for  the  farmers7  hands ; 
their  rich  black  soil  returning  him  reward  for  his  labor 
a  hundred  fold. 


©ne  Jjtmbttb  aub  Jiftg-seconb 

Skinner  Hotise, 

BROOKLYN,  IOWA, 

October  Tenth. 

My  ride  to-day  from  Marengo  has  been  over  fine 
prairie  land  with  occasionally  a  farm  in  the  distance 
like  an  oasis  in  the  desert.  Brooklyn  is  one  hundred 
miles  from  Davenport  and,  as  some  evidence  of  its 
prosperous  condition,  has  four  hotels.  I  was  fortunate 
in  selecting  the  Skinner  House,  the  proprietor  of  which 
knows  how  to  make  his  guests  comfortable.  Paul 
also  seemed  happy  to-night  when  I  shut  him  in  a 
clean  and  well-appointed  stable  with  his  supper. 

Brooklyn  is  a  village  of  over  twelve  hundred  in- 
habitants, and  wears  the  impress  of  success.  There 
are  several  grain  elevators,  foundries,  flour  mills  and 
business  houses  of  all  kinds;  also  graded  schools,  banks, 
and  daily  and  weekly  papers.  The  streets  are  clean  and 
well  paved,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  for  its 
Eastern  namesake.  The  surrounding  farms  are  large 
and  well  cultivated,  and  the  country  presents  a  most 
attractive  appearance. 


422         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 


(Due  jljmrtireb  cmb  5  tftjMljtrb 


Moore  House, 
KELLOGG,  IOWA, 

October  Eleventh. 

In  front  of  the  Skinner  House,  Paul  caused  me 
some  little  anxiety  by  dashing  up  the  street  from  the 
front  where  I  had  left  him  with  loose  rein  for  a  mo- 
ment while  settling  my  bill.  Coming  back  he  gave 
me  to  understand,  by  a  toss  of  his  head,  that  he  only 
wanted  to  shake  a  little  dust  from  his  feet.  I  was  soon 
mounted  and  off  at  a  full  trot,  covering  thirty  miles, 
when  I  stopped  at  a  farm  house  for  dinner. 

On  reaching  the  outskirts  of  Grinnell,  I  hailed  a 
party  of  boys  who  were  "  playing  ball"  One  bright 
little  fellow  gave  me  the  time,  two  o'clock,  and  the  dis- 
tance to  Kellogg.  I  then  pushed  on  without  stopping 
at  Grinnell.  Amused  myself  with  some  little  boys  in 
front  of  a  country  school  house  who  were  "  playing 
horse."  I  inquired  of  the  youngest  if  he  went  to 
school,  and  his  brother  answered  for  him  in  the  affirma- 
tive. I  then  asked,  "What  does  he  learn?"  "He 
don't  learn  nothin',"  answered  the  youth.  "  Then  why 
do  you  take  him  to  school  ?"  T  inquired.  "  So,  when 
the  boys  go  out,  he  can  '  play  horse  '  with  us." 

Have  seen  some  of  the  finest  scenery  and  grandest 
farms  to-day  that  I  have  encountered  along  my  journey. 
The  day  has  been  unusually  bright  and  pleasant,  and 
the  country  looks  lovely  in  the  extreme.  Reached 
Kellogg  to-night,  half  an  hour  after  dark.  Caught  a 
young  snipe  about  a  mile  from  the  village  and  offered 


DAVENPORT  TO  DES  MOTNES.  423 

it  to  a  young  girl  if  she  could  name  its  species.     She 
could  not,  and  a  boy  claimed  the  prize. 

Amused  some  of  the  guests  in  the  evening  with  in- 
cidents of  rhy  journey,  and  they,  in  turn,  gave  me  some 
useful  information  about  the  Far  West,  North  Platte, 
Green  River,  and  Humboldt  Valley. 


©ne  jjjtmirA  ani  Jtftg-fotirtl) 

Pacific  Hotel, 

COLFAX,   IOWA, 

October  Twelfth. 

Arrived  at  Colfax  in  the  evening  after  a  glorious 
ride  over  the  prairie.  The  grain  on  the  farms  waved 
in  the  breeze  as  the  fields  were  passed  and  numerous 
streams  crossed  finding  their  way  to  the  rivers  that  in- 
tersect the  State.  This  prairie  is  not  entirely  devoid 
of  timber,  for  groves  dot  the  extended  landscape  like 
islands  in  a  green  sea ;  while  from  the  higher  grounds 
I  viewed  the  prairie  decked  with  wild  hay  and  autumn 
flowers. 

"Broad  on  either  hand 

The  golden  wheat-fields  glimmered  in  the  sun, 
And  the  tall  maize  its  yellow  tassels  spun." 

The  prairie  here  is  from  twenty  to  forty  miles  in 
width.  A  variety  of  minerals  are  found  and  mined  to 
a  limited  extent.  Time  will  work  many  changes. 
A  quarter  of  a  century  hence,  Colfax  will  probably 
be  known  as  an  important  mining  town  with  large 
and  varied  interests.  Its  growth  will  be  gladly  noted 
by  many  who  have  faith  in  its  future. 


424         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 


CDne  iljunbrrii  anb  J  ift^fiftf) 

Jones  House, 

DESMOINKS,  IOWA, 
October  Thirteenth. 

Mounted  Paul  at  eight  o'clock  and  rode  twenty  miles, 
which  brought  me  to  Des  Moines.  Most  of  the 
journey  was  over  prairie  land  ;  the  sun  shone  brightly 
and  afforded  me  an  agreeable  warmth  as  Paul  stepped 
out  bravely  —  cheered,  possibly  by  the  prospect  of  en- 
tering a  large  city  and  resting  for  a  day  or  two.  We 
know  nothing  of  a  horse's  prevision.  The  country 
along  my  route  is  rich  in  fertility  of  soil,  but  its 
resources  are  not  yet  fully  developed.  I  am  told  that 
but  little  snow  falls  on  this  prairie,  the  winter  being- 
made  up  of  cool,  sunshiny  days,  and  clear,  frosty 
nights.  There  is  nothing,  I  think,  to  hinder  this  part 
of  Iowa  from  being  one  of  the  most  healthy  portions 
of  the  United  States. 


(Shu 


Jones  House, 
DES  MOINES,  IOWA, 

October  Fourteenth. 

I  have  not  seen  a  brighter  or  more  stirring  city  in 
my  line  of  march  than  Des  Moines,  the  capital  of  the 
State  of  Iowa.  Under  the  escort  of  Professor  E.  T. 
Bowen,  city  editor  of  The  Leader,  and  two  other  well 
informed  gentlemen,  I  visited  the  Iowa  State  Perpetual 
Exposition  and  was  introduced  to  the  secretary,  who 
courteously  showed  me  over  the  buildings.  . 


DAVENPORT  TO  DES  MOINES.  425 

The  city  stands  at  the  mouth  of  the  Raccoon  River, 
is  three  hundred  and  fifty-eight  miles  west  of  Chicago 
and  one  hundred  and  forty-two  east  of  Omaha.  Its 
shape  is  quadrilateral — four  miles  long  by  two  miles 
wide.  The  Des  Moines  River  flows  through  its  centre, 
dividing  the  East  from  the  West  Side.  The  city 
stands  on  a  declivity,  its  highest  part  extending  to 
about  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  The  Post  Office, 
Court  House  and  city  offices,  the  principal  depots  and 
hotels,  and  the  greater  portion  of  the  business  houses, 
are  situated  on  a  plateau  about  a  mile  long  and  half  a 
mile  wide,  rising  about  fifteen  feet  above  high  water; 
and  on  the  higher  ground  beyond  are  some  of  the 
handsomest  and  largest  private  residences. 

On  the  East  Side  is  another  business  locality.  Cap- 
itol Square  contains  ten  acres  on  an  elevated  site  com- 
manding a  fine  view.  The  State  House  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  nearly  $3,000,000.  The  Public  Library 
contains  some  30,000  volumes.  There  are  over  twenty 
churches  of  all  denominations  in  the  city.  The  Post 
Office  and  Court  House  buildings  are  of  marble  and 
cost  $250,000.  There  is  also  a  State  Arsenal,  a  large 
County  Court  House  and  many  public  improvements 
found  only  in  first-class  modern  cities.  Two  daily  and 
upwards  of  a  dozen  weekly  papers  are  published  here. 
In  the  vicinity  are  mines  of  excellent  coal  and  a  num- 
ber of  manufactories  of  various  kinds  are  in  operation. 

Before  leaving  the  Jones  House  it  is  but  just  that  I 
should  say  that  I  was  not  more  courteously  treated 
during  my  journey  than  by  Messrs.  George  W.  Jones 
and  Son.  Professor  Bo  wen  and  Captain  Conrad  with 
many  others  saw  me  off. 

The   next  day  a  copy  of  the  Des  Moines  Leader 


426         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

reached  me,  in  which  the  following  notice  appeared. 
I  insert  it  here  as  one  of  many  pleasant  references  to 
my  journey. 

"Captain  Willard  Glazier,  the  horseback  traveller  across  the  Con- 
tinent, took  in  the  Exposition  on  Saturday  evening  with  intense 
gratification.  He  says  he  has  seen  no  place  on  his  route  from  Boston 
more  promising  than  Des  Moines.  Among  the  calls  he  received  at 
the  Jones  House  was  one  from  Captain  Conrad,  a  prominent  attorney 
from  Missouri  and  now  settled  in  his  profession  in  this  city,  who  was 
a  fellow-captive  with  Captain  Glazier  in  Libby  Prison  during  the 
Rebellion.  The  Captain  continued  his  journey  westward  yesterday 
with  the  best  wishes  of  the  friends  he  has  made  during  his  short  stay 
here." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


©ne 


DBS   MOINES   TO   OMAHA. 


anb 


?Dajj. 


Byers  House, 
ADEL,   IOWA, 
October  15,  187  6. 

EFT  Des  Moines  with  pleasant  thoughts 
of  the  cordial  reception  I  had  met  with, 
and  pursuing  my  way  westward  over  the 
prairies,  reached  this  village  in  the  even- 
ing after  a  twenty-five  miles'  ride  over  a 
section  of  the  country  strikingly  beauti- 
ful. The  soil  of  the  prairie,  I  am  every- 
where informed,  is  almost  invariably  of 
the  most  productive  character.  No  other 
State,  in  short,  has  finer  facilities  for  growing  all  the 
cereals  of  the  temperate  zone  than  Iowa. 

Adel  is  the  county  -seat  of  Dallas  County,  situated  on 
the  Raccoon  River  —  generally  called  the  "  Coon."  At 
the  period  of  my  visit  the  village  had  a  population  of 
less  than  one  thousand,  and  although  agriculture  is 
the  leading  industry,  considerable  attention  is  given 
to  manufacturing.  The  prairie  land  in  the  vicinity 
was,  as  yet,  sparsely  settled,  but  every  inducement  was 

(429) 


430         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

offered  settlers  to  establish  themselves  here.  I  noticed 
some  broken  fields,  and  blue  smoke  curling  up  from 
farm  houses  in  the  distance ;  and  after  eighteen  miles 
of  enjoyable  exercise  in  the  pure  prairie  atmosphere, 
reached  this  small  village,  where  1  concluded  to  halt 
for  the  night. 

©ne  fjuntoeb  anb  5iftrWtgl)tl)  EDap. 

Private  House, 

DALE  CITY,  IOWA, 

October  Sixteenth. 

Weather  warmer,  pleasant  and  more  invigorating 
than  during  the  past  few  days.  Left  Adel  at  eight 
o'clock  A.  M.,  and  passed  through  Redfield  at  eleven, 
still  on  the  great  prairie  which  appears  to  have  no 
limit.  From  the  hilltops  the  valleys  wear  the  aspect 
of  cultivated  meadows  and  rich  pastures ;  and  on  the 
level  spreads  the  wild  prairie,  decked  with  flowers,  its 
long  waves  stretching  away  till  sky  and  prairie  mingle 
in  the  distance.  Twenty  years  ago  the  red  men  chased 
the  elk  and  buffalo  where  now  are  prairie  farms  and 
prairie  homes.  As  I  advance,  I  meet  occasionally 
with  trees  skirting  the  streams  that  find  their  way  to 
the  rivers  that  intersect  this  beautiful  State. 

Had  dinner  at  a  prairie  farm  house  and  talked  poli- 
tics with  the  farmer,  whom  I  found  was  an  enthusi- 
astic admirer  of  Peter  Cooper.  He  did  not  expect  his 
political  favorite  would  be  elected,  but  as  a  matter  of 
principle  would  vote  for  him.  I  told  him  if  he  called 
himself  a  Republican,  lie  should  cast  his  vote  for  Gov- 
ernor Hayes,  but  my  advice  probably  had  little  effect 
upon  him.  Reached  Dale  City  about  one  o'clock.  It 


DES  MOTNES  TO   OMAHA.  433 

was  a  small  village  in  Lyon  County,  with  about  two 
hundred  inhabitants. 


®\\t  QunbrA  cmb  J'iftjMiintl)  Stag. 

A  Night  with  Coyotes, 

BETWEEN  DALE  CITY  AND  ANITA,  IOWA, 

October  Seventeenth. 

My  journey  to-day  led  me  again  over  the  seemingly 
endless  prairie — extending  beyond  the  range  of  human 
vision.  Halted  at  a  farm  house  for  dinner,  near  Dal- 
manutha,  an  agricultural  settlement  in  Guthrie  County. 
Wishing  to  reach  Anita  before  stopping  for  the  night,  I 
continued  on  the  road  after  dark,  contrary  to  my  usual 
practice. 

For  some  time  before  sunset  I  had  not  seen  a  farm 
house  or  even  a  tree  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
and  now  could  see  nothing  of  road  or  trail.  Ac- 
cordingly I  gave  Paul  the  rein  and  left  him  to  pick 
his  way.  He  followed  a  sort  of  blind  road -which  led 
to  a  haystack.  I  thought  I  could  do  no  better  than 
make  my  bed  on  the  sweet  hay,  and  decided  to  spend 
the  night  there  supperless.  I  had  scarcely  settled  my- 
self when  a  troop  of  coyotes,  or  prairie  wolves,  came 
howling  and  barking  in  front  of  me.  This  made 
things  uncomfortable,  and  I  at  once  jumped  to  my  feet 
and,  revolver  in  hand,  faced  the  enemy.  Several 
were  killed  by  my  fire.  The  remainder,  however, 
continued  to  threaten  an  attack.  I  was  puzzled  as  to 
what  was  best  to  do  when  I  was  suddenly  re-inforced 
by  a  friendly  dog,  who,  attracted  doubtless,  by  the  report 
of  the  pistol  and  the  barking  of  the  coyotes,  came  to  my 


434         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HOUSES  ACK. 

rescue,  and  kept  the  animals  at  bay  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night.  At  daybreak  I  was  not  sorry  to  bid 
adieu  to  the  haystack  and,  neither,  I  believe,  was  Paul, 
who  had  also  spent  a  restless  night,  notwithstanding 
the  abundance  of  good  fodder  at  his  disposal. 

It  may  be  mentioned  that  the  coyote  seems  to  par- 
take of  the  nature  of  the  dog  and  the  wolf.  In  the 
winter,  when  food  is  scarce,  these  animals  will  attack 
man,  but,  unlike  the  wolf,  if  a  bold  resistance  is 
offered,  they  will  speedily  decamp.  A  pack  of  coy- 
otes, however,  are  not  pleasant  company  on  a  dark 
night. 


©lie  djunbveb  au^  Sirftctlj 

Pacific  Hotel, 

ATLANTIC,  IOWA, 

October  Eighteenth. 

Was  again  all  day  on  the  prairie  inhaling  the  pure, 
invigorating  air  as  Paul  and  I  faced  a  stiff  breeze 
from  the  Northwest;  and  at  four  o'clock  arrived  at 
Atlantic,  a  thriving  village  of  over  three  thousand 
inhabitants,  dependent,  like  all  the  villages  I  had 
passed,  upon  the  surrounding  farms.  These  farms  are 
mostly  in  a  flourishing  condition,  are  fenced  and  under 
good  cultivation,  divided  into  meadows  and  fields  of 
every  variety  of  grain.  The  village  is  delightfully  situ- 
ated. As  an  evidence  of  its  prosperity  it  supported 
two  ably  conducted  daily  papers  and  three  weeklies, 
three  banks  and  several  graded  schools.  I  was  now 
eighty-two  miles  from  Des  Moines.  The  prairie  here 
is  gently  undulating  and  the  soil  composed  of  vege- 
table mould  and  sand.  Atlantic,  I  infer  from  its  busy 


DES  MOINES  TO   OMAHA.  435 

appearance,  has  a  destiny   above   that  which   it  has 
attained. 


<S)ne  djunirefo  anft  Shin-first 

Columbia  House, 

A  v  o  c  A,    IOWA, 

October  Nineteenth. 

Weather  cloudy,  threatening  rain  as  I  rode  out  of 
Atlantic  in  the  morning  at  ten  o'clock.  Covered  twenty 
miles  and  stopped  for  dinner  at  another  farm,  near 
Walnut.  On  my  road  saw  a  man  at  work  in  a  large 
cornfield  and,  hailing  him,  inquired  the  distance  to 
Avoca.  After  a  few  words  had  passed  between  us,  I 
was  surprised  and  pleased  to  discover  that  he  was  from 
my  native  county — St.  Lawrence,  New  York,  and 
knew  many  of  my  old  friends  and  acquaintances  in 
that  quarter.  Our  conversation  turned  upon  old 
localities  and  associations,  much  to  our  mutual  enjoy - 
mentr  The  days  of  our  youth  were  recalled,  and 
although  we  had  never  met  before,  we  parted  after 
half  an  hour's  chat  as  if  we  had  been  friends  of  many 
years'  standing.  My  friend  expressed  perfect  satisfac- 
tion with  his  rustic  life  on  the  prairie  and  was  quite 
enthusiastic  over  the  prospects  of  his  farming  opera- 
tions. The  soil  he  said  was  excellent,  easy  to  cultivate 
and,  in  fact,  second  to  none  in  the  State. 

Avoca  is  a  purely  agricultural  village  with  a  popu- 
lation of  about  1,500,  all,  more  or  less,  interested  in 
the  big  farms  within  a  radius  of  one  to  two  miles  of 
the  busy  town.  Two  weekly  newspapers  kept  the 
citizens  en  rapport  with  the  outside  world  and  the  hus- 
tling life  of  the  large  cities. 


436        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 


Ocm. 

Neola  House, 

NEOLA,    IOWA, 

October  Twentieth. 

A  drizzling  rain  on  leaving  Avoca  made  the  pros- 
pect of  my  ride  to  this  point  somewhat  gloomy.  Over 
the  interminable  prairie  again  my  journey  lay,  as  it 
had  done  ever  since  I  entered  the  State  of  Iowa,  but  a 
more  magnificent  sight  I  never  saw  than  presented 
itself  before  me  this  afternoon  on  reaching  the  summit 
of  an  extensive  table-land  between  Avoca  and  Minden. 

Halted  a  few  minutes  for  lunch  at  Minden,  and  met 
a  gentleman  there  who  had  attended  my  lecture  at 
Detroit,  upon  which  he  was  pleased  to  compliment  me. 
Neola  is  a  small  prairie  settlement  of  about  three 
hundred  inhabitants  and  is  surrounded  by  several  good 
farms.  Of  the  Neola  House  I  can  only  say  that  I 
shall  not  easily  forget  it  and  its  proprietor — especially 
the  nocturnal  serenade  of  all  the  cats  of  Neola — which 
deprived  me  of  sleep  throughout  the  night;  and  the 
extremely  scant  accommodations  provided  for  the  guests. 

The  soil  here  is  inferior  in  quality  to  that  of  no 
other  section  of  the  State.  The  land  is  well  watered 
and  was  gradually  filling  up  with  an  industrious  class 
of  citizens. 

(Dm  <IJun^r^  an^  SurtjM')'11*^  Sat). 

Atlantic  Hotel, 
OMAHA,   NEBRASKA, 

October  Twenty -fir  st. 

Left  Neola  at  eight  o'clock  and  reached  Council 
Bluffs  at  three  P.  M.  Found  the  road  on  approaching 


DES  MOINES  TO  OMAHA.  439 

the  city,  in  bad  condition,  but  the  splendid  country 
through  which  I  had  passed  since  entering  the  State 
was  perhaps  equal  to  anything  ever  trodden  by  the  feet  of 
man.  The  surface  of  Western  Iowa  is  very  different 
from  that  of  the  prairie  region  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  State,  being  rougher  and  more  hilly.  The  numer- 
ous streams  proceeding  from  springs  bursting  from  the 
hillsides,  are  clear  and  swift.  Near  the  Missouri  River, 
high  and  precipitous  mountain  bluffs  are  ranged,  and 
the  region  contiguous  is  very  hilly.  The  highest  hills 
are  covered  with  verdure — grass  and  timber.  The  soil 
generally  is  light  and  to  appearance  poor,  but  is  loose 
and  sandy,  and  found  to  be  easily  cultivated.  Creeks 
and  smaller  streams  of  water  occur  frequently  and 
afford  'power  for  mills  and  machinery,  and  furnish 
abundant  supply  for  farming  uses  and  stock. 

The  first  white  settlement  in  Western  Iowa  was 
made  in  the  year  1847,  by  a  company  of  Mormons  or 
Latter-Day  Saints,  who  had  been  exiled  from  Illinois 
in  poverty  and  destitution.  They  passed  through  a 
part  of  the  country  then  only  inhabited  by  savages. 
They  planted  small  colonies  at  places  on  the  route,  the 
main  body  pushing  on  to  the  bluffs  near  the  Missouri 
River.  A  considerable  number,  unable  to  go  farther, 
remained  here,  commenced  clearing  the  land  for  farm- 
ing, and  two  years  later,  in  1849,  began  the  building 
of  a  town  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  city  of 
Council  Bluffs.  Their  new  town  they  named  Kanes- 
ville  after  one  of  their  leaders.  Several  stores  were 
built  and  opened,  and  the  population  was  soon  largely 
increased  by  people  who  were  not  Mormons  and  had 
no  sympathy  with  them.  The  new  settlers  being 
greatly  in  the  majority,  virtually  drove  out  the 


440         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

"  Saints,"  who  finally  left  in  a  body  to  join  their  people 
at  Salt  Lake  City. 

Council  Bluffs  is  now  the  most  populous  and  flour- 
ishing city  of  Western  Iowa.  At  the  time  of  my  visit, 
the  inhabitants  numbered  only  about  8,000,  but  it  was 
then  growing  rapidly  and  bid  fair  to  become  one  of 
the  big  cities  of  America.  There  is  a  large  trade 
here  employing  an  immense  capital.  The  most  imT 
portant  manufactures  are  the  iron  works  and  machine 
shops,  the  agricultural  works,  carriage  factories,  steam 
plows,  and  mills  of  various  kinds,  the  city  has  ample 
railroad  communication  by  means  of  several  lines  con- 
verging here.  Omaha,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
Missouri,  is  only  four  miles  distant.  The  fine,  sub- 
stantial bridge  connecting  the  two  cities  is  2,750  feet 
in  length  and  has  eleven  spans.  It  has  a  railroad  track, 
and  accommodation  for  horse-cars  and  ordinary  travel. 

The  most  important  public  buildings  are  the  County 
Court  House,  City  Hall,  High  School  building  and 
the  ward  school  houses.  There  were  three  banks 
and  two  daily  and  three  weekly  newspapers.  The 
Catholics  have  a  seminary  for  young  ladies  and  a  boys' 
parochial  school.  The  State  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb  is  near  the  city. 


HIGH    SCHOOL,  OMAHA,  NEBEASKA. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A   HALT   AT   OMAHA. 

[AHA,  the  county-seat  of  Douglas 
County,  the  capital  and  metropolis  of 
Nebraska,  is  the  half-way  station  across 
the  Continent.  It  is  aptly  called  the 
"  Gate  City,"  seeming,  as  it  does,  a  sort 
of  opening  to  the  great  railroads,  the 
great  waterways,  and  the  whole  fascinat- 
ing great  beyond  of  western  enterprise 
and  western  commerce. 
As  I  rode  into  the  city  it  seemed  that  it  would  be 
hard  to  find  a  more  attractive  place. 

"A  fine  plateau  nearly  a  mile  broad,  and  elevated 
fifty  or  sixty  feet  above  the  Missouri,  is  occupied  by 
the  chief  business  portion  of  the  city,"  while  the  beau- 
tiful bluifs,  the  low,  rounded,  tree-covered  hills,  form- 
ing a  semi-circle  on  the  west  and  south,  are  thickly 
dotted  with  tasteful  and  elegant  residences  and  build- 
ings surrounded  by  carefully  laid-out  grounds. 

The  streets  cross  at  right  angles.  Most  of  them 
are  one  hundred  feet  broad ;  but  Capitol  avenue  is 
one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  width. 

On  high  grounds,  just  southwest  of  the  city  limits,  is 

(443) 


444          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Hanscom  Park,  a  fine,  natural  grove,  beautified  by  art 
for  the  delight  of  pleasure  seekers. 

Conspicuous  on  the  west  is  the  extensive  Poor 
House  Farm,  containing  the  fine  brick  poor  house. 

To  the  north,  on  a  high  wooded  hill,  solitary,  apart 
from  the  city,  yet  always  within  sight  of  its  bustle 
and  rush,  lies,  in  its  solemnity,  Prospect  Cemetery. 

In  the  northern  section  of  the  city,  also,  we  find  the 
Douglas  County  Fair  Grounds,  the  OmaJ  a  Driving 
Park,  and  Fort  Omaha. 

A  bridge,  the  erection  of  which  cost  $1,500,000, 
spans  the  Missouri  and  connects  Omaha  with  Council 
Bluffs. 

I  found  Omaha  not  only  fair  to  look  upon,  but  also 
interesting  in  many  ways.  It  is  the  key  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  the  gold  mines  of  California.  Its 
wholesale  trade  amounts  to  about  $15,000,000  an- 
nually and  is  constantly  increasing.  Its  industries 
include  smelting,  brewing,  distilling,  brick  making, 
machine  and  engine  building  and  meat  packing.  The 
trade  in  the  latter  branch  being  only  excelled  by  that 
of  Chicago  and  Kansas  City. 

Its  manufactures  are  constantly  increasing.  The 
Union  Pacific  Machine  Shops  alone  employ  about  seven 
hundred  men.  Omaha  has  a  linseed  oil  mill  which 
turns  out  yearly  millions  of  oil  cakes  and  thousands 
of  gallons  of  oil.  One  of  the  city's  distilleries  is  so 
extensive  that  it  pays  the  United  States  Government 
a  tax  of  $300,000  per  year. 

The  educational  advantages  of  this  metropolis  are 
unsurpassed  by  any  city  of  its  size  in  the  West.  It  has 
eleven  fine  ward  school  buildings  and  one  high  school. 
The  latter  occupies  the  former  site  of  the  old  terri- 


A  HALT  AT  OMAHA.  445 

torial  capitol.  It  is  a  fine,  large  building,  erected  in 
1872,  at  a  cost  of  $250,000.  Its  spire  is  three 
hundred  and  ninety  feet  above  the  Missouri  River,  and 
its  cupola  commands  a  view  embracing  many  miles  of 
river  scenery. 

Creighton  College  is  a  Jesuit  institution,  endowed 
by  Mrs.  Edward  Creighton  to  the  amount  of  about 
$155,000.  It  will  accommodate  four  hundred  and 
eighty  pupils  and  opens  its  hospitable  doors  to  all 
students,  irrespective  of  creed  or  race. 

A  four-story  stone  Post  Office  stands  on  the  corner 
of  Dodge  and  Fifteenth  streets.  That  building,  to- 
gether with  the  furniture  which  it  contains,  is  alleged 
to  have  cost  $450,000 ;  and  Omaha  people  claim  that 
it  is  one  of  the  handsomest  government  buildings  in 
all  the  land. 

By  the  way,  self-respect,  humble  pride,  an  appreci- 
ation, a  love  and  admiration  of  every  good  thing  the 
"  Gate  City  "  contains,  is  a  characteristic  of  all  honest, 
true-hearted  Omaha  men — God  bless  them  !  They  are 
even  proud  of  their  jail,  which  is  universally  conceded 
to  be  the  handsomest  and  strongest  penal  institution 
in  the  West. 

Omaha  is  headquarters  for  a  military  division 
known  as  the  Department  of  the  Platte.  A  great  part 
of  the  financial  supremacy  of  the  city  is  due  to  the 
heavy  purchase  and  distribution  of  military  supplies. 
The  General  Government,  some  time  since,  acquired 
eighty-two  and  a  half  acres  of  land,  two  miles  north 
of  Omaha,  christened  it  Fort  Omaha,  and  spent  over 
$1,000,000  in  erecting  military  buildings  upon  it. 

Statistics  change  rapidly  in  this  Gate  to  progress  and 
improvement.  In  the  year  1877,  improvements  were 


446         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

added  to  the  city  amounting  to  about  $800,000 ;  in 
1878,  amounting  to  $1,000,000,  and  in  1879,  to  about 
$1,222,000. 

Such  was  the  Omaha  which  I  rode  into.  How 
thought-compelling  a  place  it  was!  How  typical  of 
the  push,  vigor,  enterprise  and  pluck  which  have 
proved  so  masterful  in  the  development  of  our  once 
"  Wild  West."  It  is  with  pleasure  that  the  mind  runs 
over  its  history. 

The  first  knowledge  we  have  of  the  region  in  which 
Omaha  is  situated,  conies  to  us,  like  many  another 
crumb  of  information,  from  Father  Marquette.  He 
visited  that  tract  in  1673,  explored  it  and  mapped 
out  the  principal  streams.  At  that  time  the  region 
was  claimed  by  Spain,  and  formed  a  part  of  the  great 
Province  of  Louisiana.  It  finally  became  a  French 
possession,  and  was  sold  by  that  nation  to  the  United 
States  in  the  year  1800,  for  $1,500,000. 

On  the  twenty -seventh  of  July,  1804,  Messrs.  Lewis 
and  Clark  came  up  the  Missouri,  and  camped  on  the 
Omaha  plateau,  where  the  waters  of  the  river  then 
covered  what  is  now  the  foot  of  Farnam  street,  and 
that  part  of  the  city  where  the  Union  Pacific  Machine 
Shops  are  now  located,  also  the  smelting  works,  ware- 
houses, distillery,  extensive  coal  and  lumber  yards, 
and  where  numerous  railroad  tracks  form  a  sugges- 
tive network. 

In  1825,  T.  B.  Roye  established  an  Indian  trading 
station  on  the  present  site  of  the  city. 

In  1845,  a  band  of  Mormons,  driven  from  Illinois, 
settled  slightly  north  of  the  Omaha  of  to-day.  They 
earne  as  "strangers  and  pilgrims,"  and  called  their 
little  settlement  by  the  suggestive  title  of  "Winter 


A   HALT  AT  OMAHA.  447 

Quarters."  The  Indians,  however,  insisted  that  the 
Mormons  should  not  remain.  So  pressed,  the  saints 
divided  their  little  party.  A  few  families,  under  the 
leadership  of  Elder  Kane,  crossed  the  Missouri  and 
started  a  settlement  destined  to  become  Council  Bluffs. 

The  balance  of  the  inhabitants  of  "Winter  Quar- 
ters" placed  themselves  under  the  leadership  of 
Brigham  Young,  and  with  one  hundred  and  eight 
wagons  migrated  to  Utah,  where  they  immediately 
staked  out  Salt  Lake  City,  and  began  to  build  their 
Temple. 

By  so  slight  a  circumstance  Omaha  missed  being 
next  door  neighbor  to,  or  even  becoming  herself,  the 
New  Jerusalem  of  the  Saints. 

William  D.  Brown  is  conceded  to  have  been  the  first 
white  settler  who  staked  out  a  claim  on  the  plateau 
now  occupied  by  Omaha.  He  started  for  the  Califor- 
nia gold  fields.  On  his  way  it  occurred  to  him  how 
profitable  it  would  be  to  establish  a  ferry  across  the 
Missouri  to  accommodate  the  thousands  passing  west- 
ward. Putting  in  practice  his  idea,  in  1852,  he 
equipped  a  flatboat  for  that  purpose.  He  named  this 
venture  of  his  "  Lone  Tree  Ferry,"  from  one  solitary 
tree  on  the  landing,  just  east  of  where  in  Omaha  to- 
day stand  the  Union  Pacific  Shops. 

In  the  spring  of  1853,  Mr.  Brown  staked  out  a 
claim  embracing  most  of  the  original  town  site  of 
Omaha. 

July  23,  1853,  Brown  became  a  member  of  the 
Council  Bluffs  and  Nebraska  Ferry  Company,  whose 
object  was  to  open  a  steam  ferry,  and  to  estab- 
lish a  town  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  Despite 
protests  from  Indians  and  without  consent  of  the 

22 


448  OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

United  States,  in  the  winter  and  early  spring  of  1854, 
what  is  now  Douglas  County  was  nearly  covered  by 
staked-out  claims  of  "sooners"  and  speculators. 

May  23,  1854,  Nebraska  was  admitted  into  the 
Union  as  a  Territory,  and  in  the  same  year  Douglas 
County  was  created.  Immediately,  upon  a  beautiful 
plateau,  a  town  site  was  selected,  laid  out,  and  chris- 
tened Omaha. 

The  first  house  in  Omaha  was  commenced  before 
Omaha  itself  legally  existed.  It  was  built  by  Thomas 
Allen.  It  was  a  log  house,  was  named  the  St.  Nicho- 
las, was  used  as  a  hotel,  a  store,  or  anything  else 
which  the  public  demanded. 

In  July  of  the  same  year  another  house  was  built — 
this  one  being  of  pine  flooring.  It  was  on  the  present 
site  of  Creighton  College.  Here,  a  few  weeks  after  its 
erection,  the  first  native  Omaha  boy  first  saw  the  light, 
and  from  this  same  house,  a  few  days  later,  an  Omaha 
citizen  first  passed  out  to  that  mysterious  country 

"From  whence  no  traveller  returns." 

The  third  house  was  called  "  Big  6."  Its  owner 
opened  "  A  general  assortment  of  merchandise  suitable 
for  time  and  place,"  and  "  Big  6 "  soon  became  a 
place  of  note. 

House  No.  4  was  opened  by  a  house  warming, 
which  was  attended  even  by  settlers  from  the  adjacent 
State  of  Illinois. 

In  the  same  year,  that  of  1854,  the  so-called  Old 
State  House  was  built  by  the  Ferry  Company  to  ac- 
commodate the  first  territorial  legislature.  It  was  not 
an  architectural  beauty,  and  consequently,  in  1857,  it 
gave  place  to  a  large,  brick  Capitol. 

In  this,   to  Omaha,  memorable  year  of  1854,  the 


A  HALT  AT  OMAHA.  451 

first  doctor,  the  first  lawyer  and  the  first  minister 
settled  in  her  boundaries,  also  the  first  steam  mill  be- 
gan running. 

January  15,  1855,  the  large  frame  Douglas  House 
was  opened  by  a  grand  ball.  It  did  an  immense  busi- 
ness for  many  years,  and  became  notedly  the  head- 
quarters for  politicians  and  speculators. 

The  first  territorial  legislature  convened  January 
16,  1855,  and  remained  in  session  until  March  seven- 
teenth of  the  same  year.  Where  that  legislature  should 
meet  became  a  question  of  yital  importance  to  a  number 
of  Nebraska  towns.  The  matter  was  hotly  contested 
but  the  metropolis  won  the  prize,  acting  Governor 
Cummings  designating  Omaha  as  the  favored  spot. 

Traffic  by  steamboat  did  much  to  develop  the  "Gate 
City."  Sometimes  boats  arrived  seven  or  eight  times  a 
week,  bringing  new  inhabitants,  timber,  machinery, 
provisions,  furniture,  and  piling  their  cargo — human 
or  inanimate — out  upon  the  since  washed  away  levees, 
to  be  taken  care  of  as  best  the  embryo  city  could. 

The  first  boat  of  the  season  was  the  event  of  the 
year.  Down  the  inhabitants  ran  to  meet  it,  with- 
out regard  to  age,  sex  or  race;  down  they  trooped, 
laughing,  shouting,  rejoicing  that  communication  with 
the  great  world  was  once  more  open.  Many  a  "  cotil- 
lon "  was  danced  on  the  deck  of  that  first  boat,  while 
the  unloading  was  being  vigorously  carried  on  below. 

There  was  little  crime  in  the  new  city.  In  the 
three  formative  years  only  one  murder  is  known  to 
have  been  committed,  and  no  criminal  was  legally 
executed  until  1863. 

There  was  never  much  Indian  trouble  in  this  vicin- 
ity. However,  Omaha  several  times  raised  troops  to 


452         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

protect  the  whites  of  Douglas  County.  In  1864,  a 
large  band  of  Indians  appeared  on  the  Elkhorn  and 
so  frightened  the  settlers  that  they  poured  into  Omaha 
before  daylight.  Business  was  suspended,  a  meeting 
called  in  the  Court  House  at  two  o'clock  p.  M.,  and 
before  sunset  every  able-bodied  man  was  armed.  This 
promptness  and  efficiency  so  impressed  the  Indians 
that  no  outbreak  took  place. 

In  the  late  Civil  War,  Omaha  responded  nobly  to 
the  call  of  the  General  Government.  The  First  Regi- 
ment of  Nebraska  Volunteers,  the  First  Battalion,  the 
Second  Regiment  Nebraska  Volunteers,  the  First  Ne- 
braska Veteran  Cavalry,  and  four  companies  of  Cur- 
tis' Horse,  came  almost  entirely  from  Omaha. 

The  first  telegraph  line  reached  Omaha  in  1860. 

The  first  breaking  of  ground  for  the  Union  Pacific 
Rail  Road  took  place  in  Omaha,  December  3,  1863. 

The  first  train  from  the  East  reached  Omaha  by 
the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  route,  January  17, 
1867. 

So  Omaha  grew  and  prospered.  It  took  about 
twenty -seven  years  to  bring  it  out  of  original  wildness 
to  the  state  of  excellency  in  which  I  found  it  as  I 
passed  through  on  my  horseback  journey.  Yet  it 
seems  but  yesterday  since  no  human  dwelling  occupied 
the  place  now  covered  by  our  young  city.  Here 
the  Indian  council-fires  burned ;  on  the  bluffs,  with 
no  more  civilized  weapon  than  his  bow  and  arrow, 
he  hunted  deer,  buffalo,  elk,  bear  and  wolf.  Here 
his  war  whoop  rang  out  clear  and  unmolested.  Here 
brave,  free,  unfearing,  he  dwelt, 

"  Monarch  of  all  he  surveyed." 

And  now  he  is  completely  effaced  from  this  region. 


A  HALT  AT  OMAHA.  455 

Gone  and  only  remembered  by  some  quaint  name  still 
attached  to  stream  or  mountain. 

To-day  "  the  moving  millions,  both  in  this  country 
and  Europe,  are  making  earnest  inquiry  for  Ne- 
braska." 50,000  new  inhabitants  came  to  it  in  1880. 
The  close  of  the  late  war  brought  many  ex-soldiers 
and  their  families  here  to  claim  land  privileges  near 
Omaha,  and  from  "  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe  the 
swelling  thousands  have  come  to  settle  with  those  that 
made  their  way  thither.  From  Maine  and  Texas,  and 
from  every  territory  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  they 
came."  "  The  rank  and  file,  the  bone  and  muscle, 
were  men  who  came  to  stay,  who  counted  the  cost, 
who  measured  the  sacrifice."  Under  their  faithful 
hands  the  desert  has  been  made  to  "  blossom  like  the 
rose."  "The  dug-out  and  the  log  house  have  given 
place  to  the  elegant  mansion,  and  thousands  of  groves 
have  sprung  up  almost  as  if  by  magic  all  over  the 
prairies." 

These  brave  pioneers  knew  it  would  be  so.  They 
believed  in  the  embryo  city.  By  faith  they  saw  the 
fields  blossoming  for  the  harvest.  "  They  heard  the 
song  of  harvest  home,  they  saw  the  smoke  of  the  ris- 
ing city,  the  highways  of  commerce,  and  some  of  them 
saw  the  highways  of  nations,  so  long  a  fable  to  the 
American  people,  stretching  up  through  their  valleys 
to  the  everlasting  mountains  and  on  to  the  broad 
Pacific.  To-day  the  day-dream  of  these  brave  men  is 
realized — 

For  lo  1  it  has  all  come  true. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

OMAHA   TO   CHEYENNE. 

|S  winter  was  approaching  and  the  days 
were  now  becoming  considerably  shorter, 
it  was  incumbent  upon  me  to  hasten  my 
departure  from  Omaha,  if  I  would  es- 
cape the  violent  snowstorms  of  the 
mountains.  Having  learned  from  fron- 
tiersmen that  Eastern  horses  are  not 
available  in  the  Alkali  Region  of  the 
Plains,  I  placed  my  faithful  Paul  in  a 
boarding  stable  in  Omaha,  purchased  a  mustang  of  a 
Pawnee  Indian  and  forthwith  continued  my  journey 
westward. 

Webster  defines  a  mustang  as  the  "  Wild  Horse 
of  the  Prairie."  My  experience  with  him  has  taught 
me  that  he  is  sufficiently  docile  under  the  restraint 
of  a  tight  rein ;  will  travel  a  longer  distance  over  a 
rough  road  in  a  given  time  than  the  average  horse, 
and  scarcely  ever  shows  fatigue  even  if  the  road  is 
all  up-hill.  Of  course,  some  of  them  are  vicious, 
and  will  make  things  uncomfortable  for  the  rider; 
but  in  this  particular  some  civilized  horses  are  not 
unlike  them.  I  found  the  Mexican  saddle  more  con- 
venient than  the  "McClellan"  which  I  had  hitherto 
used,  and  thought  much  easier  for  the  animal. 
(456) 


OMAHA  TO  CHEYENXE.  459 

My  mustang  was  very  obedient  and  made  excellent 
time;  and  having  obtained  in  Omaha  all  the  informa- 
tion within  my  reach  concerning  the  remaining  half 
of  my  journey,  I  determined  to  use  all  despatch  and 
avoid  as  much  of  the  cold  weather  of  the  Rockies  and 
Sierras  as  possible. 

I  may  here  state  that  in  consequence  of  the  long 
rides  I  was  now  compelled  to  make,  with  very  few 
stoppages  except  at  night,  the  original  plan  of  the 
journey  was  somewhat  changed,  and  my  journal  neces- 
sarily fell  into  disuse;  my  chief  object  being  to  get 
over  the  mountains  as  quickly  as  possible.  I  was, 
therefore,  unable  during  the  remainder  of  my  ride  to 
refer  so  much  to  daily  incidents,  but  confined  myself 
to  jotting  down  in  a  general  way  whatever  I  thought 
might  prove  of  interest  to  the  reader. 

Over  the  Great  Plains  that  lie  between  the  Mis- 
souri and  the  Rockies  my  nerve  was  thoroughly 
tested,  and  not  less  so  the  mettle  of  my  mustang  which 
carried  me  a  distance  of  five  hundred  and  twenty-two 
miles  in  six  days.  Stoppages  were  few  and  far  between, 
except  for  necessary  food  and  sleep.  The  weather  had 
become  very  cold  since  leaving  Omaha,  and  the  ascent 
had  been  gradual  but  continuous. 

The  surface  of  Nebraska  is  extremely  varied."  There 
are  no  elevations  that  can  be  dignified  with  the  name 
of  mountains,  but  in  its  northern  and  western  parts 
there  are  lofty  hills.  Along  the  Niobrara  and  White 
Rivers,  extending  into  Dakota,  there  are  sand-hills 
with  a  very  scanty  vegetation  and  very  difficult  to  tra- 
verse on  account  of  the  loose  sand.  The  gently  rolling 
lands  of  three-fourths  of  Nebraska  appear  very  much 
like  the  suddenly  petrified  waves  and  billows  of  the 


460         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

ocean.  Minerals  had  not  yet  been  found  to  any  con- 
siderable extent,  and  the  scarcity  of  coal  rendered  more 
valuable  the  extensive  beds  of  peat  found  in  some  parts 
of  the  State.  The  soli  basins  of  Nebraska  are  rich  and 
extensive.  The  principal  one  is  located  in  Lancaster 
County,  covering  an  area  of  twelve  by  twenty-five 
miles.  Fossil  remains,  of  great  interest  to  geologists, 
have  been  discovered  in  great  quantities.  Indian  hiero- 
glyphics, which  ante-date  the  traditions  of  all  living 
tribes,  are  cut  deep  in  the  bluffs  along  the  Missouri 
River,  in  places  now  inaccessible. 

The  Platte  or  Nebraska  River,  from  which  the  Ter- 
ritory received  its  name,  is  a  broad  and  shallow  stream. 
It  is  claimed  that  there  is  not  a  foot  of  land  in  Eastern 
Nebraska  that  is  not  susceptible  of  cultivation.  High 
winds  sweep  over  the  plains,  and  the  storms  are  some- 
times of  terrible  severity.  The  climate  is  dry  and 
exhilarating,  and  the  nights  generally  cool  throughout 
the  summer.  There  is  no  part  of  the  United  States 
better  adapted  for  stock-raising  than  the  prairies  of 
Nebraska. 

There  is  a  well-equipped  university  at  Lincoln,  a 
normal  school  for  the  training  of  teachers  and  an  insti- 
tution for  the  blind  at  Nebraska  City. 

After  a  fifty  miles'  ride  from  Omaha  a  halt  was  made 
at  the  Sherman  House,  Fremont,  Dodge  County,  for 
supper  and  lodging.  The  journey  had  been  pleasant 
and  the  landscape  charming  in  its  quiet  beauty.  The 
south  wind  was  neither  too  warm  nor  too  cold  for  per- 
fect comfort,  and  my  mustang  looked  as  if  he  could 
carry  me  another  fifty  miles  without  any  inconvenience 
to  himself. 

Fremont  had  a  population  of  nearly  3,000,  and  has 


OMASA  TO  CHEYENNE.  461 

a  large  trade  in  grain,  cotton  and  lumber.  It  has  a 
court  house,  a  high  school,  three  banks  and  four  news- 
papers. 

Left  early  the  following  morning  and  at  night  slept 
in  a  wigwam  with  Pawnee  Indians,  in  the  absence  of 
other  shelter,  and  they  gave  me  of  their  best.  At 
Lone  Tree,  a  post  office  in  Nance  County,  I  stopped 
at  the  Lone  Tree  House  for  the  night,  and  next  morn- 
ing at  dawn,  the  weather  being  very  fine,  hurried  for- 
ward on  my  journey.  Reached  Grand  Island,  where 
I  was  accommodated  at  a  private  house  with  bed  and 
board. 

Grand  Island  is  in  the  Great  Platte  Valley  on 
Platte  River,  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  miles  west  of 
Omaha.  It  stands  1,800  feet  above  sea  level.  The 
Island,  on  which  the  town  is  built,  is  fifty  miles  long. 

Wood  River,  my  next  resting-place,  is  a  township 
in  Hall  County  with  a  population  not  exceeding  one 
thousand.  On  the  following  day  good  headway  was 
made,  but  I  could  find  no  better  accommodation  for 
the  night  than  at  a  Pawnee  camp.  On  the  suc- 
ceeding night,  after  a  hard  day's  ride,  I  stopped 
at  Plum  Creek,  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles  west  of 
Omaha,  and  was  accommodated  at  the  Plum  Creek 
House.  A  bridge  spans  the  Platte  River  at  this  point. 
The  population  was  only  three  hundred,  but  a  weekly 
paper  had  been  started  and  was  well  supported.  The 
next  evening,  the  McPherson  House,  McPherson, 
received  me  and  my  mustang  arid  treated  us  hospitably. 
Then  we  reached  North  Platte,  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  miles  from  Grand  Island,  where  I  lodged  for  the 
night  at  a  private  house  and  was  made  welcome.  The 
repair  shops  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  were  located 


462         06EAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

here;  also  a  bank  and  two  enterprising  newspapers. 
The  population  of  the  township  was  nearly  three  thou- 
sand. At  Sidney,  which  is  a  military  post,  I  stopped 
at  the  Railroad  Hotel.  Sheep-farming  is  a  leading 
industry  of  Sidney  and  its  vicinity.  My  last  stopping- 
place  in  Nebraska  was  at  Evans  Ranche,  Antelope,  a 
small  village  on  the  Elk  Horn  River. 

Crossing  the  boundary  into  Wyoming  Territory  and 
reaching  Cheyenne,  I  made  my  entrance  into  this  most 
interesting  region — a  great  plateau  of  nearly  100,000 
square  miles/its  lowest  level  3,543  feet,  its  highest  alti- 
tude more  than  13,000  feet  above  the  sea.  Some  one 
has  said  that  it  seems  "a  highway,  laid  out  by  the 
'Great  Intelligence/  in  the  latitude  most  favorable,  at 
all  seasons,  for  the  great  migrations  to  the  shores  of 
the  Pacific  which  modern  times  have  witnessed." 

Shales  bearing  petroleum,  iron,  limestone,  soda,  sul- 
phur, mica,  copper,  lead,  silver  and  gold,  are  all  there 
for  the  taking. 

There,  volcanoes  are  still  at  work. 

There,  great  mountains,  great  canyons,  and  great 
cataracts  make  the  face  of  Nature  sublime. 

There,  in  past  centuries,  "at  some  period  anterior 
to  the  history  of  existing  aboriginal  races,"  lived  a 
mysterious,  to  us  unknown  people,  traces  of  whom  we 
still  find  in  neatly  finished  stratite  vessels,  "  knives, 
scrapers,  and  sinkers  for  fish  lines  made  of  volcanic 
sandstone  or  of  green-veined  marble.  Such  is  the 
tract  of  territory  called  Wyoming." 

Beginning  at  the  south-east  corner  of  this  tract,  we 
encounter,  not  far  from  the  boundary,  a  semi-circular 
range,  about  2,000  feet  above  the  general  level, 
known  as  Laramie  Hills.  The  north  branch  of  the 


OMASA  TO  CHEYENNE.  465 

Platte,  coming  from  the  south,  sweeps  in  a  long 
curve  about  it ;  and  just  at  the  base  of  this  Laramie 
range  nestles  the  so-called  "  Magic  City,"  Cheyenne, 
the  capital  of  Wyoming. 

White  men  first  explored  this  region  in  1743,  and  in 
1744,  when  Sieur  de  la  Verendrye  and  his  sons  came 
down  from  Canada,  lured  by  the  then  unexplored 
Kocky  Mountains.  But  the  region  was  fearfully 
wild.  Not  only  was  the  face  of  Nature  most  strange, 
but  the  whole  tract  was  overrun  by  belligerent 
savages. 

It  was  1804  before  a  few  brave  whites  began  hunt- 
ing beaver  there.  But  it  was  not  for  many  a  long  year 
that  civilization  took  possession  of  the  spot.  Not 
indeed  until  mining  first  took  place  on  the  summit  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains  in  Dakgta. 

Then  the  fact  of  railroad  construction  brought  great 
crowds  to  the  North  Platte  country,  crowds  composed 
of  two  diametrically  opposed  elements,  namely  workers 
and  loafers.  These  two  elements  joined  hands  for 
once,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  and  together  they  settled 
Cheyenne.  They  located  it  near  several  military  posts, 
and  just  as  close  to  Denver  as  they  could  get  it,  and 
still  keep  it  in  Wyoming.  At  Denver  was  a  bank. 
They  wanted  to  be  near  that  institution,  and  so  came 
within  one  hundred  and  six  miles  of  it.  Such  were  a 
settler's  ideas  of  propinquity ! 

Several  items  contributed  to  making  this  young 
settlement  a  success.  The  most  important  of  these 
items  was  that,  in  1867,  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
Company  began  to  locate  its  shops  there.  That  was 
rarely  fine  bait  for  mechanics.  The  coal  and  iron 
mines  in  the  suburbs  proved  good  bait  for  miners. 


466         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

So,  from  these  humble  beginnings,  Cheyenne  came 
into  existence,  awoke,  bestirred  herself,  became  fired 
with  ambition,  and  made  the  summer  of  1867  one 
never  to  be  forgotten  in  her  boundaries. 

On  July  first  of  that  year,  the  agent  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  erected  in  Cheyenne  the  first  structure 
belonging  to  that  company. 

In  August,  the  city  government  was  formed,  H.  M. 
Hook  being  chosen  mayor. 

On  September  nineteenth,  the  first  issue  of  the 
Cheyenne  Evening  Leader  was  published. 

September  twenty-seventh,  a  meeting  was  held  for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  a  county  to  be  called  Lam- 
in  ie. 

On  October  eighth,  an  election  was  held  to  vote  for 
a  representative  to  Congress,  to  elect  county  officers, 
and  to  locate  the  county-seat.  It  was  decided  that 
every  citizen  of  the  United  States,  who  had  been  in 
the  territory  ten  days,  might  vote.  One  thousand  nine 
hundred  votes  were  cast,  and  Cheyenne  was  declared 
the  county-seat. 

On  October  twenty-fifth,  telegraphic  communication 
with  the  East  was  opened. 

November  thirteenth,  the  first  passenger  train  came 
through  from  Omaha,  and  one  month  later  the  track 
was  laid  to  Fort  Russell. 

About  July  first  of  that  year,  a  Mr.  Post  bought 
two  lots  in  Cheyenne  for  six  hundred  dollars.  He 
then  went  to  Denver  on  business,  stopped  to  stake  out 
his  claim  in  a  coal  mine,  and  returned  to  find  that  city 
real  estate  had  become  so  inflated  in  his  absence  that 
he  was  enabled  to  sell  a  fractional  part  of  his  six  hun- 
dred dollar  lots  for  five  thousand  six  hundred  dollars. 


OMAHA   TO  CHEYENNE.  469 

About  July  first,  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  sold 
lots  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  lot.  A 
month  later,  they  were  worth  one  thousand  dollars 
apiece,  increasing  in  price  at  the  rate  of  one  thousand 
dollars  per  lot  each  month  for  some  time  after. 

On  July  1,  1867,  Cheyenne  was  simply  a  little  cor- 
ner of  the  wilderness. 

On  January  1,  1868,  it  was  a  city  of  six  thousand 
inhabitants. 

Was  it  not  indeed  a  "  Magic  City,"  which  could 
furnish  a  six  months'  record  like  the  above? 

However,  this  was  but  the  Quatre  Bras  before  the 
Waterloo. 

Cheyenne's  real  struggle  for  life,  for  advancement, 
for  culture  and  permanent  prosperity,  was  to  begin 
with  this  new  year  of  1868.  We  know  how  grandly 
the  young  city  conquered,  not  by  "  magic  "  this  time, 
but  better  still,  by  patience,  pluck,  and  indomitable 
will.  But  to  her  honest  and  law-abiding  citizens,  at 
the  outset  of  1868,  things  looked  dark  indeed. 

Cheyenne  was  the  terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  that  winter,  and  the  scum  of  the  floating 
Western  population  drifted  thither. 

Houses  were  insufficient,  and  many  wintered  in 
tents  and  dugouts. 

To  make  things  worse,  great  numbers  of  squatters 
came,  and  began  seizing  town  lots. 

"Shootings  were  frequent,  and  every  manner  of  vice 
abounded.  A  canvas  saloon  would  answer  as  well  as 
another  for  gambling,  drinking,  and  the  purposes  of 
the  dives.  Various  men  and  women  made  the  place 
intolerable.  It  was  never  disputed  that  this  town  ex- 
ceeded in  vice  and  unwholesome  excitement  any  of  the 


470         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

new  cities  of  the  West."  The  police  were  overwhelmed. 
Crime,  theft,  and  assault  were  rampant.  Patience 
ceased  to  be  a  virtue. 

The  commander  at  Fort  Russell  was  appealed  to, 
and  a  battalion  was  sent  by  him  to  escort  the  squatters 
beyond  the  city  limits. 

After  that,  the  good  people  of  Cheyenne  took  mat- 
ters into  their  own  hands,  deciding  to 

"  Take  up  arms  against  a  sea  of  troubles, 
And  by  opposing,  end  them." 

A  vigilance  committee,  that  dernier  resort  of  the 
order-loving  Westerner  of  that  period,  was  formed. 

On  January  11,  1868,  this  committee  arrested  three 
men  for  robbery.  The  criminals  were  bound  together 
and  placarded  with  the  following  notice : 

"  $900  stole.  $500  returned !  Thieves  F.  St.  Clair,  W.  Grier,  E. 
D.  Brownell !  City  authorities  please  not  interfere  until  ten  o'clock 
A.  M.  Next  case  goes  up  a  tree !  Beware  of  Vigilance  Committee !  " 

Comparatively  gentle  measures,  like  the  above,  were 
useless.  Authority  in  that  wild  land  had  to  be  made 
of  "  sterner  stuff."  Not  until  the  vigilants  had  hung 
and  shot  a  dozen  men  did  comparative  order  prevail. 
There  was  many  a  dark  day  for  the  well-wishers  of 
Cheyenne;  yet  they  lost 

"  No  jot  of  heart  or  hope, 
But  pressed  right  boldly  on," 

and  gradually  peace  came  out  of  strife,  order  out  of 
confusion,  and  civilization  reigned  supreme. 

In  1869,  Cheyenne  became  the  great  entree  port  of 
the  vast  regions  north  and  west. 

On  September  seventh  of  that  year  the  first  term  of 
court  was  held  in.  the  city. 


OMAHA   TO  CHEYENNE.  473 

In  that  same  month  of  September,  an  election  for 
members  of  the  first  Territorial  Legislature  took  place. 

That  Legislature  held  a  sixty  days'  session.  Some  of 
its  dicta  were  as  follows : 

Gambling  was  allowed. 

Taxes  were  placed  upon  all  property,  real  or  per- 
sonal, excepting  only  United  States  and  public  prop- 
erty ;  and  in  cases  of  individuals,  exempting  clothing 
and  furniture,  amounting  to  one  hundred  dollars. 

Jails  were  to  be  placed  in  every  county. 

And,  "  last  but  not  least,"  Cheyenne  was  declared 
the  seat  of  the  territorial  government,  and  an  appro- 
priation was  asked  for  with  which  to  build  a  capitol. 

Surroundings  change  rapidly  in  the  rush  of  a  new 
community,  and  1870  saw  Cheyenne  established, 
strengthened,  purified,  settled. 

The  floating  riff-raff  had  passed  away,  leaving  a 
solid,  intelligent  population  of  sixteen  hundred. 

The  city  had  at  that  time  one  public  school  and  two 
private  ones ;  the  latter  containing  about  sixty  pupils. 
It  had  five  well  built  and  well  furnished  churches. 
The  orders  of  Masons,  Knights  Templar,  Odd  Fellows, 
and  Good  Templars  were  all  represented  in  Cheyenne 
at  that  time.  The  city  had  two  large  banks,  three  to- 
bacconists, three  hardware  houses,  two  shoe  stores,  one 
confectionery,  two  bakeries,  one  livery  stable,  two  first- 
class  hotels,  many  common  ones,  a  daily  newspaper, 
two  weeklies,  a  well  organized  fire  department,  and 
"an  acqueduct,  nearly  completed,  for  bringing  water 
from  a  source  seven  miles  away  into  the  city." 

Cheyenne  was  now  well  governed,  orderly,  at  peace, 
and  only  three  years  old, 


474         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

She  has  not  stood  still — the  brave  little  "  Magic 
City !  " 

She  keeps  on  growing,  becoming  more  beautiful, 
more  prosperous.  The  best  we  can  wish  for  her  is 
that  her  future  may  prove  as  phenomenal  and  brilliant 
is  her  past  has  been. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CAPTURED    BY   INDIANS. 

HEYENNE  was,  at  length,  left  behind. 
With  the  object  of  securing  company  in 
crossing  the  Territory,  I  had  made  the 
acquaintance  of  two  herders — rough  men 
and  plain  of  speech,  but  apparently  relia- 
ble and  trustworthy.  It  was  my  prac- 
tice to  have  company,  if  possible,  in  my 
rides  through  this  region.  These  men 
were  on  their  way  to  Salt  Lake  City  with 
a  few  mustangs  and  ponies  and  we  arranged  to  journey 
together  as  far  as  our  respective  routes  carried  us. 

My  ride  was  extremely  pleasant,  a  southwest  wind 
tempering  th£  chilliness  of  the  season.  But,  before 
giving  an  account  of  my  journey  across  Wyoming  and 
relating  a  tragic  adventure  that  befell  me  and  my  com- 
panions, I  will  here  jot  down  briefly  a  few  additional 
notes  on  the  Territory,  picked  up  on  the  road. 

Wyoming  Territory — now  Wyoming  State— is  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  long,  by  two  hundred  and 
eighty  broad.  In  its  northwest  corner  is  the 
wonderful  Yellowstone  National  Park — the  most 
marvellous  collection  of  geysers,  hot  springs  and  other 
23  (475) 


476          OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

volcanic  phenomena  upon  the  globe.  Nearly  all  of  it 
is  in  Wyoming,  a  narrow  strip  extending  westward 
over  into  Idaho  and  Montana. 

Wyoming  is  an  immense  plateau,  having  a  mean 
height  of  6,500  feet  above  the  ocean.  From  the  level, 
the  Rocky  Mountains  rise  to  heights,  in  some  cases, 
exceeding  1,300  feet.  Wyoming  has  many  rivers, 
but  none  navigable  within  the  borders  of  the 
State.  From  the  mountain  pines  is  obtained  the 
finest  timber  in  the  world.  Game  is  plentiful, 
including  the  antelope,  bear,  mountain  sheep, 
beaver,  deer  and  elk.  The  mountains  abound 
in  minerals.  Coal  is  very  plentiful  in  many  parts  of 
the  State.  Gold  and  silver  are  found  in  the  mountain 
ranges,  especially  in  the  Black  Hills,  between  Wyom- 
ing and  Dakota. 

The  climate  of  Wyoming  varies  with  the  altitude, 
being  comparatively  mild  in  the  sheltered  valleys  and 
severe  in  the  mountains.  The  soil  generally  is  highly 
productive,  yielding  fine  crops  of  wheat,  rye,  oats,  bar- 
ley, and  potatoes.  Indian  corn  will  not  yield  on  ac- 
count of  the  lateness  of  the  spring  and  the  early  coming 
of  frosts  in  the  fall.  The  valleys  and  plains  furnish 
the  best  cattle  and  sheep  ranges  in  the  world.  The 
grazing  of  cattle  for  beef,  the  breeding  of  horses, 
and  the  production  of  wool,  constitute  the  lead- 
ing industries  of  Wyoming.  The  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  traverses  the  southern  portion  of  the 
State  a  distance  of  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  miles,  and  numerous  villages  have  sprung  up 
along  the  line,  with  populations  of  two  hundred  to 
4,000. 

The  schools  are  modeled  after  the  very  best  in  the 


CAPTURED  BY  INDIANS.  .  479 

country,  well  supported,  well  taught,  free  to  all,  and 
fully  attended  under  a  compulsory  law  and  the  influ- 
ence of  public  sentiment.  Churches  are  numerous. 
The  principal  towns  of  Wyoming  are  Cheyenne,  the 
capital,  Laramie  City,  Sherman,  Rawlins,  Carbon, 
South  Pass  City,  Rock  Springs,  Green  River  City, 
Atlantic  City,  and  Evanston.  The  laws  of  Wyoming 
are  exceptionally  liberal,  conferring  equal  political 
privileges  upon  all  persons  of  suitable  age,  regardless 
of  sex,  color  or  condition. 

To  resume  my  journey  from  Cheyenne.  I  and  my 
two  companions  came  to  a  halt  at  Sherman,  having 
covered  thirty-three  miles  on  an  up-hill  road.  Here 
we  obtained  hospitable  quarters  for  the  night,  and  in 
the  morning  started  in  the  direction  of  Skull  Rocks, 
on  the  Laramie  Plains.  These  rocks  are  so  named  from 
their  supposed  resemblance  to  a  human  skull.  They 
were  in  front  of  us  when,  suddenly,  over  a  slight  eleva- 
tion appeared  a  body  of  Indians — thirteen  in  number. 
This  caused  us  no  surprise  at  first,  as  Indians  are  often 
seen  on  the  Plains.  We  soon  discovered,  however, 
that  they  were  on  no  friendly  errand,  and  were  pro- 
nounced by  the  herders  to  be  a  raiding  party  of  Arra- 
pahoes.  They  were  decked  in  their  war  paint,  and  as 
soon  as  they  saw  us  raised  a  shout. 

My  companions,  fearing  that  they  were  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  enemy  who  would  doubtless  endeavor  to 
relieve  them  of  their  mustangs  and  ponies,  made 
friendly  signals.  The  signals,  however,  were  ignored 
by  the  Indians,  who  continued  to  advance  and  grad- 
ually formed  a  circle  around  us.  This  is  the  common 
Indian  mode  of  attack.  The  circle  is  contracted  while 
a  fire  is  kept  up  upon  the  centre  where  the  victims  are 


480         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

effectually  imprisoned — the  Indians  by  rendering 
themselves  a  constantly  shifting  target  are  thus  com- 
paratively safe  from  the  fire  of  the  centre. 

Riding  around  rapidly  and  firing  at  us,  I  and 
my  two  companions  returned  the  fire  over  the 
backs  of  the  mustangs  and  ponies  which  were  used  as 
a  breastwork.  The  circle  gradually  became  smaller  in 
diameter,  when  a  shot  from  the  gun  of  one  of  the 
herders  killed  an  Indian.  A  rush  was  now  made 
upon  us,  our  arms  wrested  from  us,  and  ourselves 
speedily  bound  together  with  thongs.  The  mus- 
tangs and  ponies  were  promptly  seized,  and  we  were 
prisoners.  Further  resistance  was  useless.  We  were 
helpless  in  the  hands  of  twelve  powerful  Indians. 
We  were  soon  ordered  to  mount,  and  the  entire  party, 
less  one  Indian,  killed,  started  oifin  a  northerly  direc- 
tion. 

We  rode  at  a  trot  until  about  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  when  a  halt  was  ordered  by  the  leader — a  chief 
called  "  Lone  Wolf" — and  all  dismounted;  a  fire  was 
kindled  and  some  antelope  meat  partially  roasted,  a 
portion  of  which  was  given  to  us.  We  were  all  squat- 
ted around  a  big  fire,  the  Indians  being  engaged  in 
earnest  conversation.  One  of  the  herders  understood 
enough  of  their  language  to  explain  that  the  dis- 
cussion referred  to  their  captives — that  the  friends  of 
the  Indian  who  was  shot  at  Skull  Rocks,  and  who 
were  in  the  majority,  were  in  favor  of  putting  us  all 
to  death  for  having  killed  one  of  their  number.  Lone 
Wolf,  however,  interposed,  saying  it  would  be 
enough  to  take  the  life  of  the  one  who  had  killed  their 
brother.  The  supper  over,  four  of  the  Arrapahoes  ap- 
proached us  and  seized  the  herder  who  had  fired  the 


CAPTURED  BY  INDIANS.  433 

fatal  shot.  They  forced  him  towards  a  stout  stake 
which  they  had  previously  driven  into  the  ground 
about  fifty  yards  from  the  fire.  The  whole  party  of 
Indians  then,  without  ceremony  or  talk  with  their 
victim,  commenced  dancing  around  and  torturing  him 
in  the  most  fiendish  manner.  They  had  heated  their 
arrowheads  in  the  fire  and  held  them  in  contact  with 
his  naked  flesh,  while  others,  at  a  few  feet  from  their 
victim,  cast  at  him  their  sharp-pointed  knives  which, 
penetrating  his  body,  remained  embedded  in  the  flesh 
until  he  nearly  died  from  agony.  One  of  their  num- 
ber then  advanced  and  shot  him  in  the  head,  and 
this  ended  his  sufferings. 

In  the  meantime,  the  other  herder  and  I  were  seated 
on  the  ground  bound  together  and  unable  to  offer  any 
assistance  to  our  tortured  companion.  Several  of 
the  Indians  now  approached  us,  and  dragging  me  to 
the  stake,  bound  me  to  it  and  commenced  a  series 
of  dances  accompanied  by  much  gesticulation  and 
taunting  which  they  doubtless  intended  as  a  sort  of 
introduction  to  tortures  which  were  to  follow.  Lone 
Wolf,  who  at  this  time  was  some  distance  from  the 
camp-fire,  rushed  forward  and  dispersed  them. 

One  of  the  Indians  removed  the  scalp  from  the 
head  of  the  dead  man  and  fastened  it  to  his  waist; 
after  which  they  all  squatted  around  the  fire  again, 
engaged  for  the  most  part  in  shouting  and  speech- 
making.  I  had  never  before  witnessed  a  case  of 
torture  by  Indians  and  trust  I  may  never  see 
another. 

The  horses  of  the  Indians  had  been  tethered  by  long 
ropes  to  stakes.  A  guard  of  two  Indians  was  placed 
in  charge  of  us,  and  we  were  made  to  lie  down, 


484         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

still  bound  together,  with  an  Indian  on  each  side 
of  us  to  prevent  our  escape.  Tiie  other  Indians 
disposed  themselves  around  the  fire  and  slept. 

I  and  my  companion  slept  very  little,  but  pretended 
to  do  so.  We  were  always  on  the  alert,  and  seeking 
opportunities  to  escape.  About  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  the  two  Indians  were  relieved  by  two  others, 
and  all  was  quiet  around  their  carnp-fire.  At  the  first 
streak  of  dawn,  the  Indians  in  a  body  leaped  to  their 
feet.  The  herder  and  I  were  each  given  a  mustang 
which  we  mounted  under  the  close  scrutiny  of  our 
guards  and  the  entire  party  started  northward  at  a 
brisk  trot. 

We  had  made  no  attempt  at  escape  so  far,  and  the 
watch  became  somewhat  relaxed  during  the  day,  the 
attention  of  the  party  being  given  for  the  most  part  to 
their  special  duty  of  foraging.  When  opportunity 
offered  for  making  a  secret  raid,  a  short  halt  was  called 
by  the  leader,  and  one  of  the  party  creeping  cautiously 
up  to  a  stray  pony  would  take  possession  by  the  sim- 
ple process  of  mounting  and  riding  away.  If  more 
than  one  animal  was  to  be  looted,  a  corresponding 
number  of  Indians  was  assigned  to  the  work,  and  each, 
leaping  on  the  mustang  or  pony,  would  ride  off  as  only 
these  freebooters  of  the  Plains  can  ride,  with  little  pros- 
pect of  being  overtaken.  Thus  the  day  passed;  as  a 
rule,  about  half  the  number  of  Indians  remained  to 
guard  us  while  the  others  foraged  for  food  and  any- 
thing that  could  be  carried  off  from  the  ranches  we 
passed.  We  were  now  skirting  the  Black  Hills,  and 
I  had  discovered  by  this  time  that  we  were  making 
our  way  to  the  Arrapahoe  rendezvous,  about  one  hun- 
dred miles  from  Dead  wood. 


CAPTURED  BY  INDIANS.  435 

As  the  second  night  overtook  us,  the  routine  of  the 
previous  night  was  repeated ;  they  built  their  fire, 
cooked  and  ate  their  antelope  steaks  and  then  lay  down 
around  the  fire  for  the  night,  their  two  prisoners  being 
again  bound  together  with  a  guard  on  each  side.  I 
was,  however,  quietly  on  the  alert,  wide  awake,  al- 
though pretending  to  sleep.  I  passed  the  fingers  of 
my  right  hand  over  the  cord  that  bound  the  left  to 
my  fellow-prisoner,  and  felt  that,  with  patience  and 
vigilance,  the  knot  might  be  untied.  While  our  two 
guards  dozed  and  slept,  as  on  the  previous  night,  our 
eyes  steadily  sought  the  ponies  and  the  arms.  The 
latter  were  always  placed  at  the  head  of  each  sleeper 
for  immediate  use  in  case  of  surprise.  We  were  quite 
certain  that  any  attempt  to  escape  if  detected  and  de- 
feated would  be  followed  by  torture  and  death ;  but 
were  resolved  to  make  the  effort.  We  knew,  moreover, 
that  if  we  accompanied  the  Indians  to  their  rendezvous, 
we  should  be  retained  as  hostages,  probably  for  a  long 
period,  and  then,  perhaps,  be  tortured  should  the  fit 
seize  them  to  be  rid  of  us. 

At  dawn  of  the  third  day,  after  the  usual  breakfast 
of  antelope,  we  started  again  and  rode  all  day  with 
the  exception  of  short  halts  for  rest  and  refreshment, 
and  about  eight  o'clock  camped,  supped  and  lay  down 
to  sleep  as  before;  land  my  companion  being  again 
bound  together  at  the  wrists. 

With  the  experience  I  had  gained  in  Southern  pris- 
ons during  the  war  and  the  herder's  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  Plains,  I  thought  our  escape  might  be  ac- 
complished if  we  kept  ourselves  constantly  on  the 
alert  for  the  opportune  moment.  During  the  night 
we  had  each  fixed  our  eyes  upon  a  pony.  These  aui- 


486         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

mals  were  turned  out  to  graze  with  their  saddles  on,  to 
be  ready  for  immediate  use,  if  required.  Under  the 
pretence  of  being  sound  asleep  we  commenced  snoring 
loudly,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  guards  dozed  and 
slept  at  intervals,  but  were  restless  until  about  mid- 
night, when  they  both  succumbed  and  were  soon  fast 
asleep. 

I  now  worked  at  the  cord  on  my  wrist  and  found  I 
could  unfasten  it.  While  making  the  attempt  one  of 
the  Indians  moved  in  his  sleep,  and  we  ceased  our 
efforts  for  the  moment  and  all  was  quiet  again. 
The  opportunity  arrived,  at  length,  the  knot  was 
loosened,  and  the  noose  slipped  over  our  hands  which 
gave  us  our  liberty.  We  knew  where  the  arms  lay, 
and  each  of  us  quickly  and  quietly  secured  a  navy 
revolver  without  disturbing  our  guards.  We  then, 
together,  struck  the  two  sleeping  guards  a  strong  blow 
on  the  head  with  the  butt  of  the  revolvers.  The 
one  struck  by  the  herder  was  nearly  killed,  while  my 
man  was  only  stunned.  We  now  made  for  the 
ponies,  leaped  into  the  saddles,  and,  before  the  other 
Indians  had  shaken  off  their  slumber,  had  struck  out 
with  all  our  might  in  the  direction  from  which  we  had 
come. 

Not  many  minutes  elapsed  before  a  pursuit  com- 
menced in  right  earnest,  the  Indians  shouting  and 
yelling  as  they  urged  their  ponies  forward  ;  but  this 
had  the  effect  only  of  spurring  us  to  still 
greater  speed.  I  turned  in  my  saddle  and  sent 
a  bullet  among  them.  Another  and  another  fol- 
lowed, and  one  Indian  was  dismounted,  but  the 
darkness  prevented  our  seeing  if  the  other  shots 
had  told.  The  Arrapahoes  returned  the  fire,  but 


CAPTURED  BY  INDIANS.  489 

luckily  without  any  worse  result  than  increasing  the 
pace  of  our  flying  ponies. 

Away  we  tore  at  the  top  of  our  speed  and  soon  en- 
tered a  canyon.  Only  two  or  three  Indians  could  now 
be  seen  in  pursuit,  and  my  companion  saying  it  would 
be  safer  for  both  if  we  took  different  directions,  at 
once  dashed  off  through  a  ravine  to  the  right.  One 
Indian  was  observed  following,  but  I  sent  a  bullet  into 
his  horse,  and  this  put  a  stop  to  further  pursuit.  I 
now  dropped  into  a  gulch  where  I  remained  hidden 
until  daylight.  Finding  the  coast  clear  in  the  morn- 
ing, I  emerged  and  set  out  walking  in  a  southwesterly 
direction  which  brought  me  to  a  cattle  ranche,  the 
owner  of  which,  after  hearing  my  story,  supplred  me 
with  food  and  a  fresh  mustang.  Again  turning  my 
face  to  the  westward  I  pursued  my  course  over  the 
Rockies. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

AMONG  THE   MORMONS. 

my  ride  across  the  Territory  of  Utah 
amid  its  snow-capped  mountains,  hot 
sulphur  springs  and  its  great  Salt  Lake, 
I  met  no  hostile  Indians,  but  on  the 
contrary  many  hospitable  Mormons;  in 
fact,  my  reception  by  both  Mormon 
and  Gentile  was  invariably  kind  and 
generous.  I  saw  something  of  the  social 
life  of  Utah  as  well  as  the  wonderful 
country  through  which  I  passed,  and  was  favorably 
impressed  with  the  material  development  of  the  latter, 
as  witnessed  in  its  farms  and  mechanical  industries. 
The  men  I  conversed  with  were. fairly  intelligent — 
some  exceptionally  so;  and  hesitated  not  to  explain 
and  justify  their  peculiar  faith  and  domestic  life. 
They  are  certainly  neither  monsters  nor  murderers, 
but  men  possessing  "good  manners  and  some  of  them 
refined  tastes.  In  short,  I  found  much  good  human 
nature  among  this  people  as  well  as  social  culture. 
Business  intelligence  and  activity  is  a  marked  feature 
in  their  intercourse  with  strangers. 

In  Utah  agriculture  is  the  chief  occupation  of  the 
people.     The  long  dry  summers  and  the  clayey  charac- 
(490) 


AMONG   THE  MORMONS.  491 

ter  of  the  soil  insure  defeat  to  the  farmer,  unless  he 
helps  his  crops  by  artificial  means.  Irrigation  is 
therefore  universal,  and  the  result — the  finest  crops  to 
be  found  anywhere  in  the  West. 

The  Territory  of  Utah  covers  the  region  drained  by 
the  Great  Salt  Lake  and  many  miles  more,  both  in 
length  and  breadth,  but  the  Mormon  settlements  ex- 
tend one  hundred  miles  further  into  Idaho  on  the 
north  and  two  hundred  miles  into  Arizona  on  the 
south.  These  settlements  are  mostly  small,  but  there 
are  some  places  of  considerable  importance,  as,  for  in- 
stance, Provo  at  the  south  and  Ogden  at  the  north. 

On  July  14,  1847,  Brigham  Young,  a  Mormon 
leader,  and  his  followers  entered  the  valley  of  the 
Great  Salt  Lake.  The  lake  itself  is  one  of  the  most 
re'markable  bodies  of  water  on  the  globe.  It  is  seventy 
miles  long  and  forty-five  miles  broad,  and  stands  4,250 
feet  above  the  sea-level.  It  bears  a  strong  resemblance 
to  the  Dead  Sea  of  Palestine,  but^  unlike  that  sea,  it 
abounds  in  animal  life.  When  Young  entered  the 
valley  Utah  belonged  to  Mexico,  and  the  leader  be- 
lieved he  could  found  whatever  character  of  institution 
should  suit  him  and  his  people  best.  It  has  been 
alleged  that  Brigham  Young  had  "chains  on  men's 
souls."  There  is  no  doubt  that  superstition  and  the 
machinery  of  the  Mormon  Church  were  in  some  degree 
the  secret  of  his  irresistible  power  over  his  followers; 
but  back  of  the  superstition  and  the  marvellous  church 
organization  stood  the  brain  of  a  great  and  masterful 
man.  His  power,  he  knew,  must  rest  upon  something 
material  and  tangible,  and  this  something  he  reason- 
ably discerned  to  be  the  prosperity  of  the  people  them- 


492        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

selves.  He  proved  himself  to  be  an  organizer  of  pros- 
perity, and  this  was  the  real  source  of  his  strength. 

Mormonism  is  the  religion  of  250,000  of  the  world's 
inhabitants.  The  Territory  of  Utah  has  a  population 
of  160,000,  and  of  these,  probably,  110,000  are  Mor- 
mons. Their  doctrines  may  be  explained  in  a  few 
words : 

They  believe  that  both  matter  and  spirit  are  eternal, 
and  both  are  possessed  of  intelligence  and  power  to 
design. 

The  spiritual  realm  contains  many  gods,  all  of  whom 
are  traced  back  to  one  Supreme  Deity. 

This  Supreme  Deity  and  all  the  gods  resemble  men 
and  differ  only  in  the  fact  that  they  are  immortal. 

In  form  they  are  the  same  as  men,  having  every 
organ  and  limb  that  belongs  to  humanity.  They  have 
many  wives,  and  are  as  numerous  as  the  sands  upon 
the  sea-shore. 

Among  the  gods',  Jesus  Christ  holds  the  first  place, 
and  is  the  express  image  of  the  Supreme  Father. 

A  general  assembly  of  the  gods,  presided  over  by 
the  Supreme  Deity,  is  the  creating  power. 

When  this  world  was  created,  Adam  and  Eve  were 
taken  from  the  family  of  gods  and  placed  in  it.  In 
the  fall  they  lost  all  knowledge  of  their  heavenly 
origin,  became  possessed  of  mortal  bodies,  and  only 
regained  what  they  had  lost  by  the  quickening  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  continuous  progress  in  knowledge  and 
purity. 

Among  other  creations  of  the  gods  are  innumerable 
spirits  which  can  only  attain  to  the  rank  of  gods  by 
the  rugged  road  of  discipline  and  trial  trod  by  our  first 
parents.  These  spirits  are  constantly  hovering  over 


AMONG   THE  MORMONS.  493 

our  earth  waiting  for  fleshy  tenements  in  which  to  be- 
gin the  steep  ascent. 

As  soon  as  a  child  is  born,  one  of  these  spirits  takes 
possession  of  it  and  is  then  fairly  launched  forth  upon 
its  heavenly  voyage. 

Those  who  do  not  listen  to  the  teachings  of  the 
church  here  will,  at  death,  enter  upon  a  third  estate 
or  probationary  sphere,  when  they  will  have  another 
opportunity,  when,  if  they  improve  it  aright,  they  will, 
with  all  the  faithful,  enter  upon  the  fourth  estate, 
which  is  the  estate  of  the  gods. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  a  material  substance  filling  all 
space,  and  can  perform  all  the  works  of  the  Supreme 
Deity.  It  is  omnipresent;  in  animals  it  is  instinct,  in 
man  reason  and  inspiration,  enabling  him  to  prophesy, 
speak  with  tongues,  and  perform  miracles  of  healing 
and  many  other  wonderful  things.  The  Holy  Spirit 
can  be  imparted  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  by  a  priest- 
hood properly  constituted  and  duly  authorized. 

The  two  prominent  features  of  Mormonism  are  po- 
lygamy and  lust  for  power.  Salvation  is  not  so  much 
a  matter  of  character  as  of  the  number  of  family. 

Such  is  the  teaching  of  Brigham  Young  in  his  ser- 
mons, and  of  George  Q.  Cannon,  Heber  Kimball,  and 
of  all  the  leading  Mormons. 

Social  life  among  this  people  may  be  judged  of  from 
the  Mormon  estimate  of  woman.  She  exists  only  as  a 
necessity  in  man's  exaltation  and  glory.  Her  only 
hope  of  a  future  life  depends  upon  her  being  united 
in  "  celestial  marriage"  to  some  man.  Thus  joined, 
she  will  have  a  share  in  her  husband's  glory.  In 
marrying  her,  her  husband  confers  upon  her  the  great- 
est possible  honor,  and  for  this  she  must  be  his  obedient 


494          OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

slave.  In  order  that  she  may  be  contented  with  her 
lot  as  a  polygamous  wife,  she  is  taught  from  childhood 
to  look  upon  conjugal  love  as  a  weak  and  foolish  senti- 
ment, and  upon  marriage  as  the  only  way  to  secure  a 
future  life. 

The  Mormons  have  been  largely  recruited  in  num- 
bers by  immigrants  who  have  been  brought  into  Utah 
through  the  efforts  of  missionaries  sent  by  the  church 
to  other  parts  of  America  and  to  Europe.  About  six 
thousand  missionaries  are  thus  employed.  They  leave 
their  homes  in  Utah  and  go  to  any  part  of  the  world 
to  which  they  may  be  assigned  by  the  authorities  of 
the  church,  paying  their  own  expenses,  or  collecting 
the  money  for  their  sustenance  from  their  converts. 
These  missionaries  usually  travel  in  pairs,  and  preach, 
for  the  most  part,  in  ignorant  communities.  It  is 
estimated  that  about  100,000  immigrants  have  gone  to 
Utah  under  their  leadership.  The  organization  of  the 
missionary  force  is  very  complete  and  effective.  The 
immigrants,  though  for  the  most  part  ignorant,  are 
always  able-bodied,  and  are  usually  industrious,  frugal, 
and  obedient  to  discipline.  The  average  yearly  immi- 
gration is  about  2,000  persons. 

Mormonism  has  lately  spread 'into  the  State  of 
Nevada,  and  into  Montana,  Idaho,  Wyoming  and 
Arizona. 

The  sect  was  founded  by  Joseph  Smith  at  Manches- 
ter, New  York,  in  1830.  Smith  was  born  December 
23,  1805,  at  Sharon,  Vermont.  When  only  fifteen 
years  old  he  began  to  have  alleged  visions,  in  one  of 
which,  he  asserts,  the  angel  Moroni  appeared  to  him 
three  times  and  told  him  that  the  Bible  of  the  Western 
Continent — a  supplement  to  the  New  Testament — was 


AMONG   THE  MORMONS.  497 

buried  in  a  certain  spot  near  Manchester.  Four  years 
after  this  event  he  visited  the  spot  indicated  by  the 
angel,  and  asserts  that  he  had  delivered  into  his  charge 
by  another  angel  a  stone  box,  in  which  was  a  volume, 
six  inches  thick,  made  of  thin  gold  plates,  eight  inches 
long  by  seven  broad,  and  fastened  together  by  three 
gold  rings.  The  plates  were  said  to  be  covered  with 
small  writing  in  the  Egyptian  character,  and  were 
accompanied  by  a  pair  of  supernatural  spectacles,  con- 
sisting of  two  crystals  set  in  a  silver  bow  and  called 
"Urirn  and  ^'hummim."  By  aid  of  these  the  mystic 
characters  could  be  read.  Joseph  Smith,  being  himself 
unable  to  read  or  write  fluently,  employed  an  amanu- 
ensis to  whom  he  dictated  a  translation,  which  was 
afterward,  in  1830,  printed  and  published  under  the 
title  of  the  "  Book  of  Mormon."  The  book  professes  to 
give  the  history  of  America  from  its  first  settlement  by 
a  colony  of  refugees  from  the  crowd  dispersed  by  the 
confusion  of  tongues  at  the  Tower  of  Babel.  These 
settlers  having  in  the  course  of  time  destroyed  one 
another,  nothing  of  importance  occurred  until  600 
B.  c.,  when  Lehi,  his  wife  and  four  sons,  with  ten 
friends,  all  from  Jerusalem,  landed  on  the  coast  of 
Chili,  and  from  that  period,  according  to  the  Mormon 
theory,  America  became  gradually  peopled. 

OGDEN. 

Having  heard  much  of  the  city  of  Ogden  in  North- 
ern Utah — of  its  peculiar  origin  and  rapid  progress — I 
resolved  to  rest  there  for  a  day  or  two  before  proceed- 
ing to  Corinue  and  other  points  in  my  route  toward 
the  Sierras. 


498         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

The  pretty  city  of  Ogden  has  had  one  of  the  wildest 
and  most  thrilling  of  birthplaces. 

To-day  it  reminds  the  stranger  of  one  of  the  peaceful 
little  cities  of  old  Massachusetts,  nestled  among  the 
Berkshire  Hills,  wide  of  street,  stately  of  architecture, 
redolent  of  comfort  and  refinement. 

But  in  reality  Ogden  is  the  child  of  Utah.  Mines 
of  precious  metals  are  its  neighbors.  It  has  been  the 
scene  of  daring  explorations,  of  Indian  raids,  and  of 
many  murders  and  massacres.  Its  original  inhabitants 
were  fanatics,  so  enthused  with,  so  overwhelmed  by  their 
tenets,  as  to  believe  themselves  of  all  the  world  the 
favorites  of  the  Almighty,  the  only  original  handful 
of  His  saints,  the  small  remnant  of  the  human  family 
to  which  constant  revelations  from  Heaven  were 
vouchsafed. 

Upheld  by  this  fanaticism,  drawn  with  it  as  by  a 
magnet  from  all  over  the  United  States,  from  Canada, 
from  the  countries  of  Europe,  proselytes  came  to  join 
the  Mormons.  They  journeyed  by  mule  trains  over  the 
Plains,  or  they  walked  perhaps,  pushing  their  all  in 
hand-carts  before  them.  They  encountered  persecution, 
suffering,  and  even  death,  undaunted.  Some  of  them, 
on  their  perilous  journey  to  the  Promised  Land,  sub- 
sisted on  roots.  Some  boiled  the  skins  of  their  buffalo 
robes  and  ate  them.  Some  pushed  their  little  carts  on 
the  last  day  of  their  lives  and  then  laid  down  to  freeze 
before  the  land  of  their  desire  was  in  sight.  Graves  or 
skeletons  frequently  marked  their  route  of  march,  but 
still  they  came,  and  having  come  they  prospered. 

Their  farms  throve;  their  boundaries  increased; 
their  settlements  became  many. 


AMONG   THE  MORMONS.  499 

With  fool  hard  in  ess,  but  also  with  desperation,  with 
dauntless  effrontery,  with  infinite  pluck,  they  defied 
the  United  States  and  her  army,  using  the  tiny  hand- 
ful of  Mormon  soldiery  in  a  way  that  makes  one's 
mind  run  back  to  the  story  of  Thermopylae. 

Such  was  the  blood  that  settled  Ogden. 

It  was  such  inhabitants  that  Brighain  Young,  in 
1850,  advised  to  "put  up  good  dwellings,  open  good 
schools,  erect  a  meeting-house,  cultivate  gardens,  and 
pay  especial  care  to  fruit  raising,"  so  that  Ogden  might 
become  a  permanent  settlement  and  the  headquarters 
for  the  Mormons  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  Terri- 
tory. 

So  well  was  his  advice  carried  out  that  in  1851  the 
city  was  "  made  a  stake  of  Zion,"  divided  into  wards, 
and  incorporated  by  act  of  legislature. 

I  fom  the  very  first,  everything  connected  with  the 
city  /eemed  to  have  a  spice  and  dash  about  it. 

Away  back  in  1540,  Father  Juan  de  Padilla  and  his 
patrcn,  Pedro  de  Tobar,  went  on  an  exploring  expedi- 
tion. On  his  return  the  priest  spoke  of  a  large  and 
interesting  river  he  had  found  in  that  "Great  Un- 
known," the  Northwest. 

The  account  so  fired  th(  hearts  of  his  brother  Span- 
iards that  Captain  Garcia  Lopaz  de  Cardenas  was  sent 
to  explore  further  into  that  wonderland.  He  returned 
telling  of  immense  gulches,  of  rocky  battlements,  and 
of  mountains  surrounding  a  great  body  of  water. 
Many  believe  that  in  that  far  distant  time,  about  the 
time  tnat  Elizabeth  ascended  the  throne  of  England, 
before  Raleigh  had  done  himself  the  honor  of  his  dis- 

24 


500         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

coveries  and  settlements  in  Virginia,  Signer  Cardenas 
was  simply  taking  a  little  vacation  trip  through  Utah. 

But  however  fabulous  that  may  be,  we  know  of  a 
surety  that  on  July  29,  1776,  two  Franciscan  friars 
set  out  from  Santa  F6  to  find  a  direct  route  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  In  their  wanderings  they  strayed  far 
to  the  north,  where  they  came  across  many  representa- 
tives of  the  Utes,  who  proved  to  be  a  loving,  faithful, 
hospitable  people.  From  their  lips  the  Spaniards 
heard  the  first  description  ever  listened  to  by  white 
men  of  the  region  of  country  containing  the  present 
site  of  Ogden.  "  The  lake,"  the  Utes  said,  "  occupies 
many  leagues.  Its  waters  are  injurious  and  extremely 
salt.  He  that  wets  any  part  of  his  body  in  this  water 
immediately  feels  an  itching  in  the  wet  parts.  In  the 
circuit  of  this  lake  live  a  numerous  and  quiet  nation 
called  Puaguampe.  They  feed  on  herbs,  and  drink 
from  various  fountains  or  springs  of  good  water  which 
are  about  the  lake,  and  they  have  their  little  houses  of 
grass  and  earth,  which  latter  forms  the  roof." 

So  the  Great  Salt  Lake  makes  its  entrance  into  com- 
paratively modern  American  history. 

In  1825,  Peter  Skeen  Ogden,  accompanied  by 
his  party  of  Hudson  Bay  Company  trappers,  pursued 
his  brilliant  adventures,  and  left  behind  a  record  which 
induced  the  naming  of  the  city  after  him. 

In  1841,  the  country  around  the  spot  where  the  city 
now  lies  was  held,  on  a  Spanish  grant,  by  Miles  M. 
Goodyear,  who  built  a  fort  and  a  few  log-houses  near 
the  confluence  of  the  Weber  and  Ogden  rivers. 

On  June  6,  1848,  a  man  named  James  Brown 
came  from  California  with  his  pockets  stuffed  with 
gold  dust;  nearly  five  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  the 


AMONG   THE  MORMONS.  501 

precious  thing  had  he.  With  part  of  it  he  bought  this 
tract  of  land  from  Goodyear.  It  proved  to  be  a  most 
fertile  spot.  Brethren  came  to  it  from  Salt  Lake  City. 
Gentiles  came  from  everywhere.  The  settlement  grew 
and  prospered. 

In  1849,  people  began  to  talk  of  locating  a  city  right 
there  at  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers. 

In  1850,  Brigham  Young,  Heber  C.  Kimball,  and 
others,  laid  out  the  settlement  and  called  it  Ogden, 
after  Peter  Skeen  Ogden,  the  explorer,  long  since  dead, 
but  whose  dashing,  daring,  brilliant  adventures  were 
still  charming  to  the  men  of  that  wild  land.  Every 
time  the  city's  name  is  mentioned  it  is  another  proof 
that  although, 

"  The  man  might  die,  his  memory  lives." 

Before  a  year  was  over  a  school  house  was  built  in 
the  city. 

Then  came  that  un-American  sight,  a  wall  of  pro- 
tection built  around  a  city.  It  cost  $40,000,  which 
amount  was  raised  by  taxation. 

About  this  time  several  suburban  settlements  were 
formed,  but  bears,  wolves,  and  Indians  soon  drove  the 
venturesome  suburbanites  within  city  limits. 

Just  then  a  party  of  immigrants  encamping  on  the 
Malade  River  shot  two  Indian  women.  By  way  of 
reprisal  the  savages  killed  a  pioneer  named  Campbell 
who  was  building  a  sawmill  near  Ogden,  and  threatened 
to  massacre  the  entire  population  of  the  town.  Matters 
began  to  look  serious,  and  the  commander  of  the 
Nauvoo  Legion  gave  the  Indians  chase,  and  so  over- 
whelmed them  that  they  at  once  retreated,  taking  with 


502         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

them  no  captives  more  important  than  many  horses  and 
cattle  belonging  to  the  white  settlers. 

October  23,  1851,  the  first  municipal  election  was 
held  in  Ogden. 

1852  found  one  hundred  families  living  within  city 
boundaries. 

In  1854,  a  memorial  was  addressed  to  Congress,  by 
the  territorial  legislature,  urging  the  construction  of 
an  overland  railroad.  But  it  was  May,  1868,  before  a 
contract  was  made  between  Brigham  Young  and  the 
superintendent  of  construction  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  for  grading  between  Echo  Canyon  and  the 
terminus  of  the  line.  At  Weber  Canyon  there  was 
blasting,  tunnelling,  and  heavy  stone  work  for  bridges 
to  be  done.  This  work  earned  1,000,000  or  perhaps 
1,250,000  dollars'  worth  of  wages.  The  labor  was 
splendidly  done,  but  the  remuneration  came  slowly. 
Finally,  however,  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  turned 
over  600,000  dollars'  worth  of  rolling  stock,  and  other 
property  to  the  Mormons.  On  May  17,  1869,  ground 
was  broken  for  a  railroad  between  Salt  Lake  City  and 
Ogden.  So  the  city  grew  and  flourished. 

Ogden  has  an  elevation  of  4,340  feet.  The  ground 
plan  of  the  city  is  spacious,  the  drainage  good,  the 
climate  exceedingly  healthy. 

About  the  time  I  rode  through,  the  population  num- 
bered 6,000  souls.  The  city  contained  one  of  the 
finest  schools  in  Utah,  a  hotel  which  ranked  among 
the  best  in  the  Union,  a  daily  paper,  a  theatre,  three 
banks,  numerous  Gentile  churches,  a  16,000  dollar 
bridge  across  the  Weber,  a  reservoir,  and  a  Court 
House,  which  was  such  an  architectural  beauty  that 
all  Utah  may  well  be  proud  of  it. 


AMONG  THE  MORMONS.  595 

So  Ogden  came  through  narrow  ways  to  broad 
ways !  So  she 

"  Climbed  the  ladder,  round  by  round  1 " 

She  has  won  the  respect  and  admiration  of  all  who 
have  watched  her.  May  her  industry  never  fail,  her 
enthusiasm  never  lessen,  her  pluck  remain  indomita- 
ble, and  may  good  fortune  perch  forever  on  her  ban- 
ners 1 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

OVER  THE  SIERRAS. 

IERRA  is  the  Spanish  word  for  'saw' 
and  also  for  '  mountain/  referring  to  the 
notched  outline  of  the  mountains  as 
seen  against  the  sky." 

My  main  object  now  was  to  push  on 
to  Sacramento.  At  Kelton,  in  Utah, 
where  I  remained  only  a  few  hours,  I 
was  still  seven  hundred  and  ninety  miles 
from  my  destination.  Stock  is  exten- 
sively grazed  here  and  cattle  shipped  to  the  Pacific 
coast  in  very  large  numbers.  Leaving  Kelton,  I  rode 
thirty-three  miles  to  Terrace,  a  small  settlement  in  the 
midst  of  a  desert;  thence  to  Wells  in  the  adjoining 
State  of  Nevada. 

Nevada  belongs  to  the  "  Great  Basin,"  a  table-land 
elevated  4,500  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is  traversed, 
with  great  uniformity,  by  parallel  mountain  ranges, 
rising  from  1,000  to  8,000  feet  high,  running  north 
and  south.  Long,  narrow  valleys,  or  canyons,  lie  be- 
tween them.  The  Sierra  Nevada,  in  some  places 
13,000  feet  in  height,  extends  along  the  western 
boundary  of  the  State.  The  only  navigable  river  is 
the  Colorado,  but  there  are  several  other  streams  ris- 
(506) 


OVER  THE  SIERRAS.  509 

ing  in  the  mountains  and  emptying  into  lakes  which 
have  no  visible  outlet.  Lake  Tahoe  is  twenty-one 
miles  long,  ten  miles  wide  and  fifteen  hundred  feet 
deep.  Although  it  is  elevated  6,000  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  the  water  of  this  lake  never  freezes  and  has 
a  mean  temperature  of  57°  for  the  year.  Nevada  has 
its  hot  springs,  some  of  which  have  a  temperature  of 
two  hundred  degrees. 

A  heavy  growth  of  timber,  particularly  of  pine,  fir, 
and  spruce,  covers  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  many  of  the  trees  attaining  enormous  size. 
There  are  numerous  alkaline  flats,  and  extensive  sand 
plains,  where  nothing  grows.  The  first  discovery  of 
silver  ore  was  made  on  the  Cornstock  lode  in  1859, 
from  which  more  than  $100,000,000  have  been  taken. 
This  has  been  the  most  valuable  silver-bearing  lode 
ever  discovered  in  the  world,  exceeding  in  wealth  the 
mines  of  Peru  and  Mexico.  It  is  now  exhausted  and 
yields  only  low-grade  ores. 

Wells,  my  first  resting-point  on  the  Sierras,  stands 
at  an  elevation  of  over  5,600  feet,  and  had  a  popula- 
tion of  less  than  300.  Farming  and  stock  raising  are 
its  principal  industries.  Formerly  it  was  a  watering 
and  resting-place  for  old  emigrant  travel,  where  pure 
water  was  obtained — a  luxury  after  crossing  the  Great 
Desert;  and  an  abundance  of  grass  for  the  weary  ani- 
mals. Some  of  the  wells  here  are  1,700  feet  deep. 

Stopped  next  for  the  night  at  Halleck,  a  small  vil- 
lage— over  5,000  feet  elevation — thirteen  miles  from 
Camp  Halleck,  where  United  States  troops  are  occa- 
sionally stationed.  Leaving  Halleck  after  a  night's  rest 
and  a  hearty  breakfast  of  ham  and  eggs,  I  rode  twenty- 
four  miles  to  Elko,  six  hundred  and  nineteen  miles 


510  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

from  San  Francisco.  This  important  town  stands  at 
an  elevation  of  5,063  feet  above  sea-level  and  is  on  the 
Humboldt  River.  The  State  University  is  situated 
here.  Silver  smelting  works  and  manufactures  of 
farming  implements  were  the  principal  industries. 
One  daily  and  two  weekly  papers  were  well  supported. 
There  were  also  three  large  freight  depots  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  railway  business.  I  noticed  sev- 
eral Indians  about  the  town.  The  hot  mineral  springs 
of  Elko  are  considered  of  great  value  for  bathing. 
Population  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  about  1,700,  but 
the  town  is  destined  to  develop  into  an  important  city. 
The  money  paid  for  freights  consigned  to  this  place, 
averaged  $1,000,000  a  year. 

Leaving  Elko,  I  pushed  on  for  thirty  miles.  The 
pastures  and  meadows,  with  isolated  cottages,  were 
soon  passed  and  I  reached  Palisade  in  the  evening,  a 
village  of  250  inhabitants.  Remained  here  for  the 
night.  For  the  last  two  hundred  miles  the  road  had 
been  a  gradual  descent  and  the  change  of  temperature 
was  very  perceptible.  Palisade  is  a  growing  little 
place  with  a  population  of  about  400  souls.  It  is 
located  about  half-way  down  a  canyon,  whose  rocky, 
perpendicular  walls  give  it  a  singular  but  picturesque 
appearance. 

My  mustang  carried  me  forty-one  miles  next  day, 
to  Argentina,  where  I  rested.  This  village  is  located 
in  the  midst  of  alkali  flats  and  seemed  to  me  an  un- 
attractive place  for  a  residence.  Continuing  my  jour- 
ney along  the  foot  of  Reese  River  Mountain,  I  soon 
found  myself  at  Battle  Mountain,  at  the  junction  of 
Reese  River  and  Humboldt  Valleys.  The  town  of 
Battle  Mountain  has  several  stores,  a  public  hall,  a 


OVER  THE  SIER&AS. 

good  school  house  and  an  excellent  hotel ;  with  increas- 
ing trade.  The  mountain  from  which  the  town  de- 
rives its  name  is  about  three  miles  south  of  the  latter 
and  is  said  to  have  been  the  scene  of  a  conflict  between 
a  party  of  emigrants  and  a  band  of  Indians. 

Golconda  was  reached  on  the  evening  of  the  follow- 
ing day— four  hundred  and  seventy-eight  miles  from 
San  Francisco.  Here  are  gold  and  silver  mines,  but 
the  place  was  small  and  calls  for  no  further  remark. 
Remounted  at  sunrise  the  following  morning  and  rode 
to  Winnemucca,  the  county-seat  of  Humboldt  County. 
The  town  has  a  fine  brick  Court  House,  together  with 
several  stores,  a  hotel,  shops  and  a  school  house. 

Reached  Humboldt  the  following  day,  where  I  was 
reminded  that  I  was  still  in  the  land  of  civilization. 
Stopped  at  the  Humboldt  House,  a  most  comfortable 
hostelry,  its  surroundings  recalling  my  home  in  the 
East.  Humboldt  is  the  business  centre  of  several 
mining  districts  and  has  a  bright  prospect  before  it. 

Lovelocks,  the  next  point  reached,  is  also  on  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad.  It  is  a  grazing  region,  and 
large  herds  of  cattle  are  fattened  upon  the  rich  native 
grasses.  Leaving  Lovelocks,  I  found  myself  again  on 
a  barren  desert,  covered  in  places  with  salt  and  alkali 
deposits.  Another  station  in  the  midst  of  this  desert  is 
Hot  Springs.  Pushing  forward  I  reached  Desert, 
three  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles  from  San  Francisco. 
The  village  is  rightly  named,  for  it  is,  in  truth,  a 
dreary  place.  I  was  much  relieved  on  reaching 
Wadsworth,  a  town  of  about  700  inhabitants,  and  only 
three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  miles  from  the  end  of 
ray  journey.  Some  large  stores  here  do  a  flourishing 
business.  There  are  also  several  good  hotels,  in  one  of 


512         OCEAN  TO  OCtiAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

which  I  was  soon  comfortably  housed.  For  several 
days  I  had  seen  nothing  but  dreary,  monotonous  plains, 
and  now,  almost  another  world  opened  to  my  view — a 
world  of  beauty  and  sublimity.  It  was  with  reluc- 
tance I  left  Wadsworth  and  crossed  the  Truckee  River. 
The  trees,  green  meadows,  comfortable  farmhouses,  and 
well-tilled  fields,  were  pleasant  to  look  upon,  and  with 
the  prospect  of  soon  reaching  my  final  destination,  I 
rode  on,  and  crossed  the  boundary  into  California. 

Truckee,  although  within  the  State  of  California,  is 
in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one 
miles  from  Sacramento.  The  village  is  handsomely 
built,  the  surround  ings  picturesque  and  finely  timbered, 
and  there  is  a  line  of  stages  running  to  the  beautiful 
Lakes  Tahoe  and  Donner. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ALONG  THE  SACRAMENTO. 

ROM  Truckee  I  rode  along  the  line  of 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  stopping  for 
the  night  at  villages  intermediate  between 
Truckee  and  Sacramento,  the  principal  of 
which  were  Summit,  Colfax  and  Auburn. 
Summit  is  the  highest  point  of  the  pass 
through  which  the  railroad  crosses  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  its  height  above  sea-level 
being  7,042  feet.  The  population  was 
only  a  little  over  one  hundred.  Colfax,  fifty-four 
miles  from  Sacramento,  had  a  population  of  nearly  six 
hundred,  mostly  occupied  at  the  gold  mines  in  the 
vicinity.  Auburn,  thirty-six  miles  from  Sacramento, 
is  also  a  gold-mining  village.  Its  population  was 
given  me  as  over  1,200.  Two  weekly  papers  are  pub- 
lished here,  and  three  hotels  offer  good  accommoda- 
tions to  tourists  and  others.  Sacramento  was  reached 
November  twenty-first,  and  here  I  found  myself  within 
a  hundred  miles  of  my  destination. 

California  has  the  Pacific  Ocean  for  its  western 
boundary.  Along  the  seaboard  lies  the  Coast  Range  of 
mountains,  while  for  an  eastern  boundary  of  the  State 
stretch  the  Sierras.  Between  these  two  chains  lies 
many  a  hill,  yet,  in  the  main,  the  whole  interior  of  the 

(515) 


516         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

State  is  a  great  depression,  called  the  Valley  of  Cali- 
fornia. The  northern  portion  is  called  again  the  Sac- 
ramento Valley;  the  southern,  the  Valley  of  San 
Joaquin,  both  named  for  the  streams  that  water  them. 

The  inhabitants  are  a  motley  set;  English,  Celts, 
Spaniards,  Mexicans,  Indians,  and  above  all  the  man 
from  the  eastern  part  of  the  United  States,  leaving  his 
impress  on  all,  Americanizing  all. 

Sutter's  Fort,  as  already  explained,  was  founded  in 
1839,  very  near  the  junction  of  the  Sacramento  and 
San  Joaquin  Valleys,  by  a  Swiss  named  John  A.  Sutter. 
It  stood  on  a  small  hill,  skirted  by  a  creek  which  falls 
into  the  American  River  near  its  junction  with  the 
Sacramento,  and  overlooked  a  vast  extent  of  ditch-en- 
closed fields,  and  park  stock  ranges,  broken  by  groves 
and  belts  of  timber.  The  settlement  consisted  of  the 
Fort  and  an  old  adobe  house,  called  the  hospital.  A 
garden  of  eight  or  ten  acres,  filled  with  vegetables  and 
tropical  fruits,  surrounded  the  Fort,  cattle  covered  the 
plains  and  boats  were  tied  to  the  wharves. 

Slitter's  confirmed  grant  contained  eleven  leagues. 

The  Fort,  so  called,  was  a  parallelogram.  Its  walls 
were  of  adobe,  its  dimensions  five  hundred  by  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.  It  had  loop-holes,  bastions  at 
the  angles,  and  twelve  cannon. 

Inside  of  the  walls  were  granaries,  warehouses,  store- 
houses, shops,  and  in  the  centre  of  it  all  the  house  of 
the  commander,  the  potentate,  Sutter.  His  house  was 
rough,  "  Bare  rafters  and  unpanelled  walls."  Many  of 
the  rooms  were  roughly  furnished,  crude  benches  and 
deal  tables.  Fine  China  bowls  did  duty  for  both  cups 
and  plates,  and  silver  spoons  were  the  only  luxury 
which  marked  the  service  of  the  meals. 


ALONG   THE  SACRAMENTO.  519 

For  his  private  apartments  Sutter  obtained  from 
the  Russians  a  clumsy  set  of  California  laurel  furniture. 

In  front  of  his  house,  yet  within  the  stockade,  was 
a  tiny  square  containing  one  brass  gun,  by  which,  day 
and  night,  paced  a  sentry,  stopping  only  at  the  belfry 
post  to  chime  the  hours. 

The  Fort  was  a  business  centre.  In  it  was  located  a 
blacksmith,  a  carpenter,  and  a  general  variety  and 
liquor  store.  Prices  were  booming.  Four  dollars 
were  charged  for  shoeing  a  horse.  Wheat  sold  for 
one  dollar  per  bushel,  peas  for  a  dollar  and  a  half 
per  bushel. 

A  sort  of  gravel  road  led  to  the  spot,  over  which 
horses  galloped,  and  heavy  wagons  rolled. 

Sutter  owned  twelve  thousand  cattle,  two  thousand 
horses  and  mules,  from  one  thousand  to  fifteen  hun- 
dred sheep,  and  two  thousand  hogs. 

This  unique  Fort  was  "the  capital  of  the  vast  in- 
terior valley,  pregnant  with  approaching  importance." 

In  1846,  Sutter  staked  out  the  town  of  Sutterville, 
three  miles  below  the  Fort  on  the  Sacramento,  and  built 
the  first  house  there.  His  example  was  shortly  fol- 
lowed by  a  man  named  Zims,  who  erected  the  first 
real  brick  structure  in  the  State. 

The  Fort  and  town  kept  up  regular  communication 
with  San  Francisco  by  means  of  a  twenty-ton  sloop 
owned  by  Sutter,  and  manned  by  a  few  savages  in  his 
employ. 

There  was  a  ferry  at  the  Fort,  which  consisted  of  a 
single  canoe  handled  by  an  Indian. 

The  strangest  of  populations  gathered  about  the  set- 
tlement. Emigrants  were  there,  many  Mormons 
among  them.  Native  Californians  were  there,  wear- 


520        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

ing  sombreros,  sashes,  and  jingling  spurs.  Half-sub- 
dued Indians  abounded,  wrapped  in  their  blankets, 
and  decked  with  beads  and  feathers.  While  here  and 
there  appeared  a  shrewd  Yankee,  come  across  moun- 
tains of  snow  and  rocks  to  seek  his  fortune. 

The  climate  of  Sacramento  is  charming,  the  average 
temperature  in  winter  being  45° ;  that  in  summer 
69°.  The  thermometer  does  not'  vary  ten  degrees  be- 
tween night  and  day.  The  sea  breezes  are  constant, 
leaving  rarely  an  uncooled  night.  Rainfall  is  a  tenth 
less  than  on  the  Atlantic  Coast.  Early  autumn  finds 
this  region  dry  and  arid ;  its  small  streams  dried  up, 
the  green  fields  sere,  the  weeds  snapping  like  glass. 

The  winter  rain  begins  in  November,  after  six 
months  of  clear  weather,  and  under  its  grateful  min- 
istry the  region  "  buds  and  blossoms  like  the  rose." 

John  A.  Sutter,  potentate  of  the  region,  in  1847, 
needed  lumber,  and  therefore  needed  a  saw-mill.  His 
neighbors  wanted  lumber,  too,  and  there  would  be  a 
good  market  for  it  in  San  Francisco.  Therefore  a  saw- 
mill would  be  profitable;  but  no  trees  suitable  for  this 
purpose  could  be  found  short  of  the  foot-hills.  Con- 
sequently the  foot-hills  were  selected  as  the  spot  upon 
which  he  would  build. 

He  engaged  a  motley  company  of  all  nationalities  to 
erect  his  mill,  appointing  James  Wilson  Marshall,  a 
native  of  New  Jersey,  as  superintendent  of  the  venture. 

In  August  they  started  for  their  new  field  of  enter- 
prise, taking  their  belongings  in  Mexican  ox-carts,  and 
driving  a  flock  of  sheep  before  them  for  food. 

By  New  Year's  day,  1848,  the  mill  frame  was  up. 

On  the  afternoon  of  January  twenty-fourth,  Super- 
intendent Marshall  was  inspecting  the  tail-race  of  the 


ALONG   THE  SACRAMENTO.  521 

mill.  There  had  been  a  heavy  flood,  which  had  pre- 
viously retreated,  and  to  his  surprise  Marshall  found 
the  ground  thickly  strewn  with  a  peculiar  yellow  dust. 
He  stooped  down  and  gathered  some  of  it,  remarking 
quietly,  "Boys,  I  believe  I  have  found  a  gold  mine!" 
Then  he  began  some  simple  tests  upon  the  metal. 
Gold  must  be  heavy.  He  weighed  it.  That  was  all 
right.  Gold  must  be  malleable.  He  bit  and  pounded 
it,  and  it  stood  the  test.  Then  he  applied  aquafortis 
to  it,  and  it  responded  as  it  should.  And  so  the  truth 
was  known  at  last.  It  was  gold,  and  the  ground  was 
full  of  it. 

Marshall  saddled  his  horse,  and  dashed  over  to  con- 
sult with  Sutter,  and  together  they  agreed  to  keep  the 
matter  quiet,  and  if  possible  to  buy  up  the  surrounding 
land.  But  how  to  buy  it.  That  was  the  question ! 
They  leased  it  from  its  semi-barbaric  owners,  paying 
for  it  in  hats  and  trinkets,  but  that  title  seemed  in- 
secure. The  Mexican  government  could  no  longer 
give  grants.  The  United  States  government  was  ap 
pealed  to  in  vain.  The  answer  came  that  Californit 
was  held  as  a  conquered  province,  and  no  title  deed 
could  be  executed. 

And  meantime  the  precious  secret  leaked  out.  Sut- 
ter was  impelled  to  write  the  wonderful  news  to  friends 
at  a  distance.  All  the  men  at  the  saw-mill  knew  of 
the  discovery.  One  of  them,  named  Bennett,  while  in 
a  store  near  Monte  del  Diablo,  pulled  out  of  his  pocket 
a  bag  of  gold  dust,  exclaiming,  "I  have  something 
here  which  will  make  this  the  greatest  country  in  the 
world."  The  same  man  took  a  specimen  of  the  precious 
metal  and  showed  it  at  San  Francisco.  A  few  days 
later  an  intoxicated  Swede  offered,  at  a  store,  to  pay 


522        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

for  his  drink  in  gold  dust.  Then  a  Mormon  must  tell 
his  fellow-saints  of  the  discovery.  So  the  secret  was 
out,  and  the  precious  mystery  became  public. 

Both  Slitter  and  Marshall  were  backwoodsmen,  un- 
sophisticated, child-like,  trustful,  slow.  They  hesi- 
tated, they  faltered,  they  delayed  mining,  and  they 
were  lost!  Before  they  fully  comprehended  the  mat- 
ter, the  great  world  had  rushed  in,  and  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  treasure. 

In  the  last  issue  of  The  Calif ornian  appears  this  only 
too  true  statement:  "The  whole  country  from  San 
Francisco  to  Los  Angeles,  and  from  the  seashore  to 
the  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  resounds  to  the  sordid  cry 
of  gold'!  GOLD  ! !  GOLD ! ! !  while  the  field  is  left 
half  planted,  the  house  half  built,  and  everything  neg- 
lected but  the  manufacture  of  shovels  and  pick-axes, 
and  the  means  of  transportation  to  the  spot  where  one 
man  obtained  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  dollars' 
worth  of  the  real  stuff  in  one  day's  washing,  and  the 
average  for  all  concerned  is  twenty  dollars  per  diem." 

In  the  rush  Marshall  and  Sutter  were  crushed. 

Marshall  had  little  or  no  money  to  invest.  He  was 
particularly  unfortunate  in  locating  his  small  claims. 
Worst  of  all,  the  miners,  knowing  him  to  be  the  great 
discoverer,  followed  him  en  masse,  believing  that  he 
knew  the  secrets  of  the  hills  and  rivers.  The  crowds 
so  overwhelmed  him,  that  he  had  no  chance  to  mine. 
They  even  threatened  to  hang  him  if  he  did  not  lead 
them  to  the  finest  diggings.  In  a  few  years  after,  he 
died,  miserable,  broken-hearted,  poverty-stricken. 

Sutter  fared  but  little  better.  True,  he  sold  a  half- 
interest  in  his  saw-mill  for  six  thousand  dollars,  and 
he  gained  something  from  the  raining  of  his  Indians, 


ALONG  THE  SACRAMENTO.  523 

but  Suiter's  Fort  was,  for  the  time  being,  ruined.  Let 
him  tell  the  story  in  his  own  words.  He  says : 

"  My  grist  mill  was  never  finished.  Everything 
was  stolen,  even  the  stones.  There  is  a  saying  that 
men  will  steal  everything  but  a  mile-stone  and  a  mill- 
stone. They  stole  my  mill-stones.  They  stole  the 
bells  from  the  Fort,  and  gate- weigh  ts ;  the  hides  they 
stole,  and  salmon  barrels.  I  had  two  hundred  barrels 
which  I  made  for  salmon.  Some  of  the  cannon  at  the 
fort  were  stolen.  *  *  My  property  was  all  left  ex- 
posed, and  at  the  mercy  of  the  rabble,  when  gold  was 
discovered.  My  men  all  deserted  me.  I  could  not 
shut  the  gates  of  my  Fort,  and  keep  out  the  rabble. 
They  would  have  broken  them  down.  The  country 
swarmed  with  lawless  men.  Emigrants  drove  their 
stock  into  my  yard,  and  used  my  grain  with  impunity. 
Expostulation  did  no  good.  I  was  alone.  There  was 
no  law.'' 

In  face  of  all  these  disadvantages  he  struggled  on 
until  farm  helpers  demanded  ten  dollars  per  day,  then, 
a  hopeless  old  man,  he  gave  up  the  struggle,  and  in 
1849,  with  his  Indians,  he  moved  into  Hock  Farm, 
little  dreaming  that  his  Fort  was  to  be  the  nucleus  for 
Sacramento,  the  second  city  as  to  size  in  California. 

He  retired,  but  his  son  took  the  reins  out  of  the 
father's  feeble  hands,  and  staked  out  a  town  around 
the  Old  Fort,  down  to  the  embarcadero,  and  along  the 
river  front,  naming  the  settlement  Sacramento.  The 
streets  were  laid  out  eighty  feet  wide,  except  the  cen- 
tre one,  M  street,  which  was  one  hundred  feet  in  width. 
The  purchasing  of  more  than  four  lots  by  one  person 
"was  discouraged. 

At  first  Sacramento  was  a  "  city  of  tents,  with  its 

25 


524        OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

future  on  paper;"  but  by  April  of  that  year,  1849, 
building  lots  were  selling  at  from  one  thousand  to 
three  thousand  dollars  a  piece;  at  that  time  there  were 
twenty-five  or  thirty  stores  upon  the  embarcadero,  and, 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Fort,  eight  or  ten  more.  There 
was  a  hotel,  a  printing  office,  bakery,  blacksmith's 
shop,  tin-shop,  billiard  room,  and  bowling  alley. 

In  that  month  of  April,  the  city  had  the  honor  of 
becoming  a  port  of  entry. 

By  June  of  the  same  year,  one  hundred  houses 
graced  the  city. 

A  few  months  later  the  city  hotel  was  completed  at 
a  cost  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  rented  to 
Messrs.  Fowler  and  Fry  for  five  thousand  dollars  per 
month. 

In  1850,  the  scourge  of  cholera  broke  out,  carrying 
off  one-fifth  of  those  remaining  in  Sacramento.  The 
city  was  full  to  overflowing  with  a  transient  popula- 
tion. Accommodations  were  scant  and  primitive,  vice 
and  disorder  prevailed.  ,The  disease  became  rampant. 
Patients  at  the  hospital  were  charged  sixteen  dollars 
per  day.  Then  it  was  that  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows 
came  nobly  forward,  setting  to  that  plague-stricken 
district  an  example  of  charity  and  philanthropy  long 
to  be  remembered,  and  accenting  the  fact  "  that  sim- 
ple duty  has  no  place  for  fear!" 

On  February  25,  1854,  Sacramento  was  designated 
as  the  seat  of  government  of  California.  The  dignity 
of  being  the  State  capital  gave  new  life  to  the 
city.  Her  growth  is  instanced  by  the  assessment  on 
real  estate,  which  rose  from  $5,400,000  in  1854,  to 
$13,000,000  in  twenty  years. 

When  I  rode  through,  the  population  was  21,400. 

In   1853  the  streets  were  planked,  and  provided 


A  CASCADE  BY  THE  ROADSIDE, 


ALONG  THE  SACRAMENTO.  527 

with  sewers.  In  1854  a  gas  company  was  formed. 
The  street  railroad  came  in  1870.  There  were  ten 
churches  in  the  city  as  I  found  it. 

The  first  public  school  came  in  1855,  the  high 
school  in  1856. 

When  I  was  there  the  city  had  sustained  from  time  to 
time  about  forty  daily  papers  and  twenty-four  weeklies. 

The  State  Library  is  a  brilliant  feature  of  the  place. 
Various  large  manufacturing  interests  thrive  in  the 
city.  Its  commerce  is  awe-inspiring. 

Sacramento  sent  to  the  east  in  one  year  90,000,000 
pounds  of  fruit,  her  entire  east-bound  shipments  being 
over  130,000,000  pounds. 

The  annual  manufacturing  and  jobbing  trade  is 
over  $60,000,000. 

Looking  at  these  statistics,  one  is  reminded  of  the 
magic  tent  of  Prince  Ahmed.  At  first  it  was  no  big- 
ger than  a  nut-shell.  Surely  it  could  hold  nothing; 
but  it  did.  People  flocked  to  it.  Surely  it  could  not 
cover  them  ; — but  it  did  !  it  did  ! !  The  army  flocked 
to  it; — but  the  tent  was  elastic.  It  covered  all;  it 
sheltered  all ;  it  welcomed  all. 

Has  not  Sacramento  proved  itself  the  magic  tent  of 
the  Golden  Age,  ready  to  cover,  shelter,  welcome  the 
whole  world  should  occasion  require? 

From  Sacramento  to  San  Francisco  my  route  lay 
along  the  eastern  shore  of  the  river,  and  few  halts 
were  made  between  the  two  cities.  I  was  anxious  to 
reach  my  final  destination,  as  a  feeling  of  fatigue  was  now 
overcoming  me,  which,  however,  only  served  to  stimulate 
and  urge  me  forward.  I  passed  several  places  that 
strongly  tempted  a  halt  for  refreshment  and  rest,  and 
finally  entered  the  Western  Metropolis  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  November,  registering  at  the  Palace  Hotel. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

,SAN   FRANCISCO  AND   END  OP  JOURNEY. 

AN  FRANCISCO,  the  chief  city  on  the 
Western  Coast  of  North  America,  is  in 
every  respect  a  wonderful  city,  not  least 
so  in  its  origin  and  development.  Not 
very  long  ago — less  than  a  century — 
the  Pacific  Coast  was  almost  an  un- 
explored region.  The  great  State  of 
California — next  to  Texas,  the  largest  in 
the  Union — now  teems  with  populous 
cities  and  new  settlements,  and  produces  meat  and 
grain  abundantly  sufficient  for  the  supply  of  a  large 
portion  of  the  country.  It  has  a  coast  line  on  the 
Pacific  Ocean  of  seven  hundred  miles  and,  extending 
from  the  coast,  a  breadth  of  three  hundred  and  thirty 
miles.  California  has  also  the  most  wonderful  gold 
fields  of  the  world.  They  were  discovered  in  the 
middle  of  the  last  century  by  the  Jesuits,  who  kept  the 
knowledge  a  secret. 

In  1858,  as  previously  stated,  Captain  Sutter  found 
gold  on  the  land  of  one  of  his  farms,  and  the  news  of 
the  discovery  at  once  spread.  The  excitement  ex- 
tended throughout  the  Union  and  the  "  Argonauts  of 
'49  "  came  swarming  to  the  gold  fields.  People  ran 
about  picking  up  the  precious  lumps  as  "  hogs  in  a 
(528) 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  END  OF  JOURNEY.    529 

forest  root  for  ground-nuts."  The  golden  product  of 
1848,  was  $10,000,000;  1849,  $40,000,000;  and  that 
of  1853,  $65,000,000. 

Silver  mining  has  been  attempted  in  many  localities 
in  the  State,  but  generally  with  poor  results.  There 
are  valuable  deposits  of  iron  ore,  coal,  copper,  tin, 
platinum,  manganese,  asphalt,  petroleum,  lead  and 
zinc.  Fruits  are  abundant,  of  great  size,  and  are  sold 
in  all  the  Eastern  markets. 

The  constitution  of  California  requires  a  free  school 
to  be  supported  in  each  district  six  months  in  each 
year,  and  the  system  includes  primary  and  grammar 
schools,  high  schools,  evening  schools,  normal  schools, 
technical  schools,  and  the  State  University,  which  is 
free  to  both  sexes,  and  is  a  perpetual  public  trust. 
The  schools  of  California  are  justly  famous. 

Upper  California  was  discovered  in  1538  by  a  Span- 
ish navigator.  In  1578,  Sir  Francis  Drake  visited  it 
and  gave  it  the  name  of  New  Albion.  The  Spaniards 
planted  the  first  colony  in  1768.  The  territory  was 
purchased  from  Mexico  by  the  United  States  in  1847 
for  $15,000,000.  A  constitution  was  adopted  in  the 
same  year,  and  in  1850,  California,  without  ever  hav- 
ing been  under  a  territorial  government,  was  admitted 
into  the  Union  as  a  State. 

The  progress  of  California  has  been  of  the  most 
substantial  character.  Gold  mining  has  become  a 
staple  industry,  but  in  the  agricultural  capabilities  of 
her  soil  lie  the  possibilities  of  her  greatest  wealth. 
Among  the  most  valuable  of  her  industries  in  the 
future  will  be  those  of  the  orchard  and  the  vineyard. 
The  grape  growers  of  the  State  can  now  sell  their 
grapes  with  as  much  certainty  as  the  farmer  his  wheat. 


530        OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

There  is  sent  to  the  Atlantic  coast  more  wine  than 
is  imported  from  France,  the  heretofore  wine  market 
of  the  world. 

In  Central  California  a  little  peninsula  juts  out  from 
the  main  land,  a  great  harbor  is  on  one  side,  a  great 
ocean  on  the  other.  The  lofty  mountains,  lower  just 
here,  form,  as  it  were,  a  natural  gateway  to  the  great 
interior  beyond. 

Here,  in  1836,  an  American  named  John  P.  Lease 
settled,  and  here,  in  time,  a  little  town  called  San 
Francisco  grew  up  around  him.  Two  miles  to  the 
south  loomed  up  the  antiquated  building  of  the  Catho- 
lic Mission  Dolores,  with  its  pretty  old  gardens.  The 
opposite  shores  of  the  bay  presented  a  most  beautiful 
park-like  expanse:  the  native  lawn,  brilliant  with 
flowers  and  dotted  by  eastward  bending  oaks,  watered 
by  the  creeks  of  the  Alameda,  San  Lorenzo,  San 
Leando,  and  their  tributaries,  and  enclosed  by  the 
spurs  of  the  Diablo  Mountains. 

San  Francisco  was  on  the  soil  of  Mexico,  under  the 
flag  of  Anahuac,  governed  by  an  Alcalde  and  a  sapient 
council,  yet  the  spirit  of  the  United  States  breathed 
in  it,  built  its  stout  wooden  houses,  and  thronged  its 
busy  wharves.  Animated  by  this  spirit,  it  was  des- 
tined to  become  the  metropolis  of  the  Pacific,  one  of 
the  noted  cities  of  the  globe. 

Before  the  "  Golden  Age,"  while  California  was  a 
peaceful  settlement,  of  no  especial  importance,  it  was 
said  that  around  San  Francisco  Bay  there  was  raw 
material  enough,  of  different  types,  to  develop  a  new 
race. 

San  Francisco  was  not  in  the  gold  region,  but  it 
was  the  gate  to  that  region. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  END  OF  JOURNEY.  531 

Two  weeks  after  Marshall  first  discovered  the 
precious  metal,  a  bag  of  it  was  brought  to  the  city  for 
analysis,  and  one  day  early  in  May,  1848,  "Samuel 
Brennan,  the  Mormon  leader,  held  a  bottle  of  gold 
dust  in  one  hand,  and  jubilantly  swinging  his  hat  in 
the  other,  passed  through  the  streets  of  San  Francisco 
shouting,  '  Gold  !  Gold  ! !  Gold  ! ! !  from  the  American 
River!'" 

This  started  the  enthusiasm,  the  fever,  the  madness 
for  gold. 

Carson  writes  his  sensations  when  first  looking  upon 
a  well-filled  bag  of  gold  dust.  He  says: 

"A  frenzy  seized  my  soul,  unbidden  my  legs  per- 
formed some  entirely  new  movements  of  polka  steps. 
*  *  Houses  were  too  small  for  me  to  stay  in.  I 
was  soon  in  the  street  in  search  of  necessary  outfits ; 
piles  of  gold  rose  up  before  me  at  every  step." 

All  yielded  more  or  less  to  the  subtle  influence  of 
the  malady.  Men  hastened  to  arrange  their  affairs, 
dissolving  partnerships,  disposing  of  real  estate,  and 
converting  other  effects  into  ready  means  for  de- 
parture. 

Stores  were  rummaged  for  miners7  tools. 

One  man  offered  as  high  as  fifty  dollars  for  a  shovel. 
By  the  middle  of  June,  San  Francisco  was  without 
male  population.  The  once  bustling  little  town  looked 
as  if  struck  by  a  plague.  Sessions  of  the  town  council 
were  at  an  end.  There  were  no  church  services. 
Stores  were  closed.  Newspapers  dropped  out  of  exist- 
ence. Merchandise  lay  unhandled  on  the  docks.  The 
sailors  deserted  the  ships  that  lay  at  anchor  in  the  bay. 

One  day  a  Peruvian  bark  came  to  anchor  in  the 
port.  Amazed  at  the  desolation  which  he  beheld, 


532         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

the  captain  inquired  the  cause.  He  was  answered, 
"Everybody  has  gone  northward,  where  the  valleys 
and  mountains  are  of  gold.7'  Instantly  upon  hearing 
this  marvellous  assertion  his  own  crew  joined  the  in- 
numerable throng. 

The  San  Francisco  Star  of  May  27,  1848,  says: 

"Stores  are  closed  and  places  of  business  vacated,  a 
large  number  of  houses  are  tenantless,  various  kinds  of 
mechanical  labor  suspended  or  given  up  entirely, 
and  nowhere  the  pleasant  hum  of  industry  salutes  the 
ear  as  of  late.  *  *  Everything  in  San  Francisco 
wears  a  desolate  and  sombre  look ;  everywhere  all  is 
dull,  monotonous,  dead." 

Apparently  the  Californian  of  that  day  was  thor- 
oughly imbued  with  the  saying  of  the  Cyclops,  "The 
wise  know  nothing  worth  worshipping  but  wealth." 

The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company  was  incor- 
porated in  1847,  to  sail  from  New  York  to  New 
Orleans  and  Chagres,  and  from  Panama  to  such  Pacific 
port  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  might  designate. 
Later,  when  the  existence  of  gold  in  her  mines  made 
California  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes,  San  Francisco  was 
decided  upon  as  the  western  terminus  of  the  route. 

On  October  6,  1848,  the  "  California,"  the  first  ves- 
sel of  this  line,  steamed  out  of  New  York  harbor, 
with  but  a  small  number  of  passengers.  As  this  ship 
was  intended  for  use  on  the  Pacific  coast  alone,  she 
was  obliged  to  take  the  tedious  and  perilous  route 
through  the  Strait  of  Magellan  to  reach  her  destina- 
tion. Arriving  at  Panama,  she  found  the  Isthmus 
apparently  turned  into  pandemonium.  The  one  time 
dingy,  sleepy  city  of  Panama  appeared  to  have  fallen 
entirely  into  the  hands  of  the  gold-seekers.  Cholera 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  END  OF  JOURNEY.  535 

had  broken  out  with  terrible  malignity  on  the  banks 
of  the  Chagres.  The  panic-stricken  travellers  were 
fleeing  from  the  disease,  some  trying  to  reach  the  land 
of  their  desire  by  an  old  trail,  others  were  trying  to 
make  some  progress  in  boats  called  "  longos,"  poled  by 
naked  negroes.  The  mass  of  the  worn,  weary,  eager 
wayfarers,  however,  were  waiting  as  best  they  might, 
for  that  vision  of  hope  and  comfort,  the  "  steamer."  At 
last  she  reached  them,  with  accommodations  for  about 
one  hundred.  She  was  mobbed  by  the  frantic  men,  and 
at  last  when  she  left  port,  over  four  hundred  of  them 
had  embarked  upon  her,  many  a  man  braving  that  ad- 
venturous voyage,  with  only  a  coil  of  rope  or  a  plank 
for  a  bed. 

Steerage  tickets  for  the  trip  are  said  to  have  cost 
one  thousand  dollars,  or  over. 

After  spending  four  months  in  her  passage,  the 
"  California  "  steamed  into  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco, 
February  29,  1849,  a  day  never  to  be  forgotten  at  the 
Golden  Gate!  The  town  was  crowded  with  miners 
wintering  there;  the  ships  in  the  harbor  were  gay 
with  bunting;  the  guns  of  the  Pacific  Squadron 
boomed  out  a  salute  to  the  new-comers.  Bands  of 
music  played,  handkerchiefs  waved,  and  men  cheered 
in  their  enthusiasm,  as  the  first  steamship  of  a  regular 
line  entered  the  Golden  Gate,  in  pursuit  of  the  treas- 
ures of  the  "  Golden  Age." 

That  ship  bore  to  California  the  new  military  com- 
mander, General  Persifor  F.  Smith. 

So  high  ran  the  fever  for  treasure,  that  before  the 
passengers  had  fairly  left  the  steamer,  she  was  deserted 
by  all  belonging  to  her,  save  one  engineer,  and  she 
was  consequently  unable  to  start  on  her  return  trip. 


536         OCEAN  TO  OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Nor  was  it  alone  the  " California"  which  was  de- 
serted. Five  hundred  ships  lay  in  the  San  Francisco 
Harbor  deserted,  the  crews,  wild  for  gold,  carrying  off 
the  ship's  boats  in  their  eagerness  to  reach  land ;  very 
often  the  commander  leading,  or  at  least  joining  in  the 
flight.  Many  vessels  that  year  were  left  to  rot ;  many 
were  dragged  on  shore  and  used  as  lodging  houses. 

In  the  spring,  San  Francisco  seemed  deserted,  only 
two  thousand  inhabitants  being  left.  The  heart  of  the 
city  began  to  quail.  Thousands  thronging  through 
her  harbor,  yet  so  few  to  stay  !  But  winter  brought 
the  miners  back  to  civilization  again,  and  the  popula- 
tion swelled  to  twenty  thousand. 

San  Francisco  was  at  this  time  mainly  a  city  of 
tents,  although  there  was  a  sprinkling  of  adobe  houses, 
and  a  few  frame  buildings.  It  was  a  community  of 
men.  The  census  of  1850  showed  that  only  eight  per 
cent,  of  the  population  were  women.  It  was,  more- 
over, a  community  of  young  men;  scarcely  a  grey 
head  was  to  be  seen  in  it. 

Men  were  there  from  all  the  European  nations, 
together  with  Moors  and  Abyssinians  from  Africa, 
Mongols,  Malays,  and  Hindoos  from  Asia  and  Aus- 
tralia. Turks,  Hebrews,  and  Hispano-Americans 
jostled  the  ubiquitous  Yankee,  in  the  new  streets  of 
San  Francisco. 

The  predominant  dress,  we  are  told,  was  "checked 
and  woollen  shirts,  mainly  red  and  blue,  open  at  the 
bosom  which  could  boast  of  shaggy  robustness,  or 
loosely  secured  by  a  kerchief;  pantaloons  tucked  into 
high  and  wrinkled  boots,  and  belted  at  the  waist, 
where  bristled  an  arsenal  of  knife  and  pistols.  Beard 
and  hair  emancipated  from  thraldom,  revelled  in  long 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  END   OF  JOURNEY.  537 

and  bushy  tufts,  which  rather  harmonized  with  the 
slouched  and  dingy  hat.  *  *  The  gamblers  affected 
the  Mexican  style  of  dress,  white  shirt  with  diamond 
studs,  chain  of  native  golden  specimens,  broad-brimmed 
hat,  with  sometimes  a  feather  or  squirrel's  tail  tucked 
under  the  brim,  top-boots,  and  a  rich  scarlet  sash  or 
silk  handkerchief  thrown  over  the  shoulder,  or  wound 
around  the  waist." 

They  were  a  buoyant  race,  brave,  intrepid,  light- 
hearted — above  all  things  free  from  restraint. 

They  had  braved  all  hardships  and  dangers  to  reach 
the  land  of  their  desire.  They  had  reached  there 
safely,  however,  and  they  exulted.  They  overflowed 
with  activity;  they  worked  jubilantly  and  untiringly. 

They  shouted,  they  fought,  they  gambled,  in  their 
moments  of  recreation,  intoxicated  with  the  bracing 
climate,  with  their  excitement  of  success,  and  with  that 
rollicking  freedom  which  threw  off  all  shackles  of  cus- 
tom or  self-restraint. 

They  worshipped  success,  and  greatness  with  them 
meant  "  fitness  to  grasp  opportunity  !  " 

In  their  eyes  the  unpardonable  sin  was  meanness. 

Fifty  cents  was  the  smallest  sum  which  could  be 
offered  for  the  most  trivial  of  services. 

Laborers  obtained  a  dollar  an  hour,  artisans  twenty 
dollars  per  day.  Laundry  expenses  exceeded  the 
price  of  new  underwear. 

They  loved  grandeur.  Bootblacks  carried  on  business 
in  prettily  fitted  up  recesses  furnished  with  cushioned 
chairs,  and  containing  a  liberal  supply  of  newspapers. 

It  was  over  such  a  San  Francisco  that  the  frightful 
plague  of  cholera  swept  in  1850,  carrying  with  it  a 
lesser  plague  of  suicide. 


538         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Doctors'  fees  were  from  sixteen  to  thirty-two  dollars 
per  visit,  while  for  a  surgical  operation  one  thousand 
dollars  was  the  usual  price. 

In  spite  of  plague  and  death,  that  part  of  San  Fran- 
cisco which  escaped  continued  to  be  jubilant. 

Bull  fights  were  in  high  favor,  and  the  stage,  though 
crude,  was  very  popular,  but  the  great,  enchanting  de- 
light of  the  city  was  gambling.  Money,  gold,  jewelry, 
houses,  land  and  wharves  were  all  put  up  to  be  gam- 
bled for.  The  city  abounded  with  men  of  elegant 
manners  and  striking  dress,  who  were  professional 
gamblers.*5* It  was  indeed  an  advance  in  civilization 
and  morality  when  in  September,  1850,  a  law  was 
passed  forbidding  this  pastime  on  the  Sabbath  day. 

The  news  that  California  had  been  admitted  as  a 
State  in  the  Union  reached  San  Francisco  on  the  morn- 
ing of  October  18,  1850,  when  the  "Oregon  "  entered  the 
harbor,  flying  all  her  bunting,  and  signalling  the  good 
news.  Business  was  suspended ;  courts  were  ad- 
journed ;  and  the  whole  population,  frenzied  with  de- 
light, congregated  on  Portsmouth  Square  to  congratu- 
late each  other.  Newspapers  containing  the  intelli- 
gence from  Washington  sold  for  five  dollars  each ! 
The  shipping  in  the  harbor  was  gaily  dressed  with 
flags ;  guns  boomed  from  the  heights  ;  bonfires  blazed 
at  night ;  processions  were  formed  ;  bands  played  ;  and 
the  people  in  every  way  expressed  their  joy.  Mount- 
ing his  box  behind  six  fiery  mustangs  lashed  to  highest 
speed,  the  driver  of  CrandalPs  Stage  cried  the  good 
news  all  the  way  to  San  Jose" — "California  is  ad- 
mitted ! ! "  while  a  ringing  cheer  was  returned  by  the 
people  as  the  mail  flew  by. 

The  awaking  of  San  Francisco   during  the  five  or 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  END   OF  JOURNEY.  539 

six  years  following  the  discovery  of  gold  was  won- 
derful. "  Hills  were  tumbled  into  the  bay,  and  mud 
flats  were  made  solid  ground."  Streets  were  graded, 
handsome  buildings  were  erected,  and  San  Francisco 
began  to  rank  among  the  first  cities  of  the  land.  So 
valuable  was  her  water-front  that,  in  1853,  four  small 
blocks  on  Commercial  street  sold  for  over  1,000,000 
dollars.  The  assessed  valuation  of  property  that  year 
was  about  10,000,000  dollars  over  that  of  the  pre- 
vious year. 

The  population  was  then  estimated  at  about  50,000 ; 
that  being  about  one-seventh  of  the  then  population  of 
the  State. 

The  city  had,  at  this  time,  1856,  seventeen  fire  com- 
panies, twelve  military  companies,  and  a  number  of 
social  clubs,  four  hospitals,  seventeen  public  schools, 
thirty-two  churct  organizations,  thirteen  daily  news- 
papers, and  as  many  weeklies  published  in  half  a 
dozen  different  languages. 

From  that  time  she  has  continued  ever  increasing, 
ever  justifying  her  title  of  the  metropolis  of  the  Pacific. 

Her  City  Hall  is  one  of  the  grandest  buildings  on  the 
Continent.  Its  construction  cost  6,000,000  dollars. 
It  stands  five  hundred  and  fifty  feet  on  Larkin  street, 
seven  hundred  on  McAllister  street,  and  eight  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet  on  Park  avenue. 

The  Mint  at  San  Francisco  is  the  largest  one  in  the 
United  States.  Its  architecture  is  Doric,  and  it  is  con- 
structed of  freestone  and  California  granite. 

San  Francisco  is  supplied  with  water  from  several 
large  reservoirs,  having  a  united  capacity  of  seventy 
billion  gallons.  Her  harbor  could  accommodate  the 
shipping  of  the  whole  world. 


540         OCEAN  TO   OCEAN  ON  HORSEBACK. 

Her  commerce  is  immense.  The  trade  of  the  \Yest- 
eru  Coast  from  Chili  to  Alaska  is  her  natural  heritage, 
and  she  can  justly  claim  a  fair,  large  share  from  China, 
Japan,  India,  Australia  and  the  islands  of  the  sea. 

She  has  eighty-one  public  schools,  sixty-nine  clubs, 
nine  public  libraries,  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
churches,  and  thirty  public  parks  and  ornamental 
plazas. 

What  words  could  more  aptly  describe  the  career  of 
San  Francisco  than  those  lately  written  by  Governor 
Mark  ham  ? 

"Originally  San  Francisco  consisted  of  wind-swept 
hills,  the  shifting  sands  of  which  seemed  to  defy  either 
stability  or  cultivation.  Now  those  hills,  graded  by 
pick  and  shovel,  are  gridironed  by  streets  and  rail- 
ways, and  crowned  with  the  magnificent  buildings  of 
a  populous  city,  or  transformed  by  the  magic  of  water 
and  patient  tillage  into  miles  of  verdant  park,  dotted 
by  miniature  lakes,  ribboned  with  gravel  drives, 
crowded  with  grottoes,  statuary,  conservatories,  and 
ornamental  buildings,  enriched  by  luxuriant  shrub- 
bery and  brilliant  flowers,  the  wonder  of  the  tourist, 
and  a  delight  to  her  contented  people." 

There  are  larger  and  more  populous  cities  in 
America  than  San  Francisco,  but  few  more  deserving 
the  designation  of  a  Great  City.  The  energies  of  her 
people,  the  prodigal  wealth  of  her  territory,  and  her 
singularly  equable  and  temperate  climate,  form  a  suf- 
ficient guarantee  of  the  increasing  greatness  of  her 
future. 

Finding  my  quarters  at  the  hotel  comfortable  and 
restful  after  the  strain  I  had  endured  as  the  result  of 


,, 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  END   OF  JOURNEY.  543 

two  hundred  days  of  rough  riding,  I  deferred  ter- 
minating my  journey  until  two  days  later.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  I  undertook  to  ride  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  in  the  saddle,  and  hence  my  tour 
would  not  be  literally  completed  until  I  reached  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific.  Accordingly  on  the  twenty -sixth 
of  November  I  remounted  and  rode  to  the  Cliff  House, 
a  romantic  resort  built  on  a  rocky  prominence  overlook- 
ing the  ocean.  From  here  I  descended  the  Toll  Road 
to  the  sandy  beach.  A  westerly  breeze  rolled  the 
breakers  up  to  the  feet  of  my  horse,  arid  I  forthwith 
walked  him  into  the  waters  of  the  Pacific.  My  self- 
imposed  task — my  journey  from  OCEAN  TO  OCEAN 
ON  HORSEBACK — was  accomplished. 


wm 


88s 


